Paradise: Genesis
by Lovedrr
Summary: The beginning of a series of trials, tests and tribulations of love which shall be the start of a lifelong odyssey ...
1. Paradise: In The Beginning

The lovely crystal blue skies above the beautiful island were calm and serene in their casual habitation. The breathtakingly beautiful endless ocean rolled as far as the eye could see, its waters sparkling with a bright gleam. Here, this realm was in perfect harmony with the universe.

Until, suddenly, the flowing skyline was startlingly split open by an unimaginably powerful massive strike of lightning which tore open the very fabric of reality. The continuum of space and time shattered with a booming bolt which shook the molecules of the universe. Out of the rift soared two free falling figures, spinning through the atmosphere almost faster than the speed of light. Comets of sparkling and blazing stardust trailed behind both of them.

Kal-El of Krypton, known to the world as The Man of Steel, soared unconscious through the clouds at breakneck speed. His majestic red cape whipped around his falling body as he fell backward toward the ocean floor. With the amount of force and momentum with which he was moving, his impact had the potential to be earth shattering.

Slowly, Kal's eyes opened as he began to regain consciousness. His super sharp senses immediately came into awareness, and he knew how much of a weapon that his molecular structure could be if left unchecked. Slowly closing his eyes as he channeled his immense power, The Man of Steel extended his arms out to his sides and began to slow his falling form.

A massive cosmic boom resounded through the atmosphere as his body slowed to a halt in a crucifix likeness, his cape flowing smoothly almost in a glorious kind of slow motion. Below him, the ocean cascaded outward in a circular concussion, causing huge tidal waves to flow outward in all directions.

Using his enhanced vision, he searched on all sides around him, making certain that there were no inhabitants which would be hurt or injured by the upheaval. At that moment, he caught sight of another body falling several hundred miles distant from him. Instantly, he was cutting through the air so fast that several sonic booms exploded behind him as displaced air crashed back together. Kal was focused only on reaching her.

Diana of Themyscira, known to the world as Wonder Woman, split the sky as a glowing halo of cosmic debris trailed after her. Unconscious, with her beautiful long mane of black hair framing her face, she was an ultimate vision of feminine loveliness soaring almost gracefully through the atmosphere. She was seconds away from striking land and causing an impact which could produce a torrential upheaval.

With a gentleness which seemed in stark contrast to his incredible power, The Man of Steel took The Woman of Gold gently into his arms, absorbing her momentum into his own as he aligned himself with her trajectory. The speed of her descent began to disperse as he flew in conjunction with her, his brilliant mind knowing that this was the best way to dissipate their momentum. Seconds later, two massive sonic booms resounded with the torrential displacement caused by his excessive motion and the still too sudden slowing of her incredible speed. With the powerful winds thundering around them, their long red and blue capes swayed wildly as they slowed to hover in the air.

Knowing that he still needed to continue slowing their momentum, Kal carefully swung Diana into a slow spin a few miles above the surface. His motion was smooth and graceful, but the resulting effect on their surroundings was massive. The entire forest below them instantly completely flattened. Huge trees toppled like toothpicks, miles of dense foliage lay down as twigs, and firm structures of rock were reduced to dust.

The effect was similar to that of the infamous Tunguska event.

Hovering above it all, seemingly lost in a gentle carousel ride, the two lovers gazed into one another's eyes.

With the booming noise of the sonic concussions resounding and the atmosphere howling around them, The Woman of Gold drowsily began to flutter open her eyes. Slowly waking from a deep peaceful rest, Diana felt even more of her heart slip away from her as she opened her eyes to find Kal staring down at her lovingly. She absolutely adored this man more than she had ever dreamed was possible. She looked up into the eyes of the man of her heart, and her ruby red lips curled into a gentle smile. Nestled within his powerful loving arms, she had never felt more at peace in her entire life.

The more she was with Kal, the more Diana understood the danger of which her Amazon sisters had warned her. There was simply no end to this ... falling in love. It simply became deeper and deeper, taking one to heights even higher and higher. Thinking of the horrors which had befallen her race, Diana felt a touch of fault at how much of herself she had already lost in him. On a spiritual level hidden inside the warrior, the woman knew that she could be perfectly happy giving herself completely to this man.

This feeling was so intense that she felt stirrings of trepidation. The Amazon warrior could face down armies standing alone fearlessly, but the power of true love tempted her to shy away. She couldn't allow herself to let go into this bliss of Kal.

Maybe ... Maybe in a few hundred millennia, when they were the only two beings left in the physical realm of creation, then she could indulge herself, she laughed in her thoughts. The joy in her heart manifested as a light within her eyes.

Kal returned the brightness of her light with his own. No matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn't take his eyes off of her. Every single time he looked at her, he was once again reminded that he had never seen anything more beautiful than she. His Christian parents Johnathan and Martha had taught him to reverence all of the beauty which God had made in the universe, and in all of creation, for him there was no more glorious visage than her lovely eyes.

"Good morning, My Princess," he whispered tenderly, lovingly staring down at her.

"Good morning, My Prince," she answered, never breaking his gaze for a single moment.

Unable to resist her any longer, Kal found himself leaning down to claim her lips. Diana responded with all the passion in her heart, and the kiss slowly became deeply touching and searingly intimate. When they parted, their eyes locked once again.

"Why do you kiss me like that?" Diana asked wistfully.

"Like what?" he smiled.

"Like ... you need me to be your air to breathe."

"Diana, you are my breath. You are my life, my world, and my universe."

"I knew inside your chest beat the heart of a writer, Kal. I should have known you had the soul of a poet."

Her slender hands laid down upon his firm broad chest, and his arms began to pull her toward him once again.

Unbeknownst to the two starstruck lovers, they were already being influenced by the adoringly amorous

affections of the atmosphere.

"Are you all right?" asked Kal.

"I'm fine," Diana answered. "I do feel a little disoriented. Where are we?"

"I don't know. It's a strange location," Kal told her, drawing a breath to regain and compose himself. "I've used my vision to look everywhere around us. There isn't another living soul in sight." Kal paused for a moment as he glanced at their surroundings before turning back to gaze upon her for emphasis. "This is absolutely the most beautiful place i've ever seen. We're all alone here."

"There's no one else?" Diana asked brightly. "Anywhere? We're completely by ourselves?"

"Just us," Kal said.

"What do you remember before catching me?"

"I … I had just sealed the Phantom Zone inside the fortress after locking up a dragon," he answered with his brow furrowed in the effort to remember. "Then, I was on my way to your apartment in London. What about you?"

"I had just finished sparring with Hessia. For some reason, it's hard to remember. I was on my way to the fortress to see you. There was nothing pressing on you? No battle or villain which could have transported you here?"

"No," Kal said as he let go of her hands and focused his vision off in the distance. "However, I think we have just received our first clue as to what is going on here."

"What is it?"

"There's a temple of some kind on the other side of the ocean. I don't think it was there before. It just appeared out of a low cloud."

"We're obviously meant to find it."

"Let's go have a look around inside and see if we can solve the mystery of why we've been brought here."

The Man of Steel took off over the ocean with The Wonder Woman at his side. Kal flew just slightly in front of her, and Diana took notice.

He was such a man. She knew that his actions toward her were almost unconscious and in no way intended to demean her. Even though she was quite probably the most powerful woman in the universe, Kal was still very protective of her. Although she wouldn't tolerate protectiveness from any other man, when she was with Kal it felt right and unnervingly normal. His being so much man made her feel like a natural woman. As with so many things with Kal, it was frustratingly wonderful for her.

In minutes, they were descending upon the entrance steps of a large stone pyramid like structure with a steeple atop it pointing toward the sky. Kal reached out to hold Diana's hand in the classic pose of a prince guiding his princess as they ascended the short steps. With her spike high heeled boots echoing off the bricks under them, she was glad she had worn them. Allowing herself to feel more comfortable with her femininity, she couldn't help but cherish this attention from the man of her heart.

As they approached the perfectly square sunken in door, it began to rise upward with a loud and heavy resounding grind.

"It seems we're expected," said Diana.

"Whatever this structure is made out of, my vision doesn't penetrate it. I can't see inside. I've never seen anything like this before."

The latent scientific side of Kal inherently inherited from his biological father Jor-El was quickly awakened within Kal. Also, the writer inside of him enjoyed the intrigue of mystery, and he was suddenly a little anxious to explore the temple.

Whatever element this temple was composed of was resistant to his enhanced vision. As with kryptonite, he always made it a point to study things which enemies may one day use against him. The stone appeared on the surface to be the usual composition found on earth, yet it clearly was not. He determined to extract a sample before they departed.

Stepping inside, Kal walked a foot ahead of Diana. He understood her pride, but the woman had no idea of what she truly meant to him or the fathomless depth of love he felt for her. For all his vaunted power, the man didn't want to admit to himself that he couldn't handle it if anything ever happened to her. The power he wielded as Superman caused him to be protective of all those around him and indeed the entire world, but to The Man of Steel, this woman Diana of Themyscira, was the most special to him in the universe.

A strong breeze blew around them as they entered the doorway, and the two of them stayed so close to one another that their capes brushed against one another as they walked. Suddenly, a torrent of light bathed the space in front of them with brightness. A set of torches positioned in a straight line around the upper wall of a large circular room burst into fire. The flames from their upper openings were pure white, giving them a majestic regal glow. Although the light was soft and soothing, it was uniquely piercing.

There were no shadows cast from their illumination.

The space itself was akin to a wide auditorium. A lovely circle, apparently empty besides the torches. However, the very appearance of there not being anything in the room led to the suspicion that there was something more within.

"There's nothing here," Diana said as she walked over to the other side of the room.

"Oh, there is," Kal said firmly with his brow slightly furrowed as he slowly gazed around them. "It's just difficult to see."

"Look closer," Diana said as she made her way around the edge of the wall, gliding her fingers lightly along its surface.

"There are images," Kal told her as his eyes lowered to squints. "Light. They seem to be … flowing … just outside the edge of this realm. I can't seem to draw them into focus."

"Are they for us?"

"I'm not sure."

"Perhaps we're the key," Diana said as she made her way back over toward him near the center of the room. "There are hidden places on Themyscira which respond to posture. Let's stand here in the center and …"

Before Wonder Woman could finish her sentence, a thin plume of smoke began to fade into the room surrounding them. It quickly grew into a small transparent cloud, smoothly flowing above, around and through their bodies. A gentle yet unbelievably massive power lifted them upward off the ground beneath them. The torches in the room simultaneously increased their light hundred fold, and the entire space became so bright that only a white expanse could be seen.

Sensations. Feelings. Communication. Not with words, but from within.

Time ceased to exist. Space was no more. The physical was gone. Everything was ethereal. Spirit was reality.

Together, Kal and Diana were granted understanding, given a universal history their minds could only barely comprehend, and conveyed a message only for them.

Then, more suddenly than the unique conversation had begun, it was over.

Kal felt the stone floor underneath his feet, and he opened his eyes not even realizing he had closed them. At the moment that he could see again, he immediately caught sight of Diana falling forward in a nearly unconscious daze. Reacting quickly, Kal slipped an arm around her waist to pull her body against him and steady her. In response, the barely coherent Diana wrapped one hand around his neck and held on to the center of his broad chest with her other.

Regaining herself, Diana opened her eyes to gaze up at Kal. In his arms, she was reminded that all of her holding on to her foolish pride was folly. This man had already proven to her that he would love her above all others. He would never look down on her in weakness or consider her lesser than himself. Within herself, she conceded that she may one day learn to welcome his loving protectiveness.

"I'm okay, Kal," resisted Diana, yet allowing herself to remain in the comfort of his arms. "It's just that … the power … was so overwhelming."

"I know. I've never felt anything like it. And, i could sense that what we felt was only barely a fraction of the full essence, just a drop in the ocean. Come on," he said, drawing her toward the outer doorway. "Let's get you outside."

The large stone doorway again began to open of its own accord, the sound reverberating through the inside space around them. Then, as the two of them stepped outside into the sunlight, a unique change began to take place. At the instant that the rays of the sun flowed over their skin, both Kal and Diana slightly recoiled from it.

As the sunlight showered them, it imbued their spirits and bodies with an intense health, vitality and power. Their bodies began to react of their own accord, lifting up and starting to float up into the air simply from the intensity coursing through their veins. Both of them instantly realized that they had been given a special kind of gift.

"Did … Did you understand?" asked Kal as they continued to lift higher into the sky.

"I think so," Diana answered quietly. "It was a message. Some kind of a communication, but unlike any I've ever experienced before."

"As i understood it, we're here to protect this island and keep it safe," said Kal. "By protecting this realm, we're also preventing harm from befalling our earth."

"Yes, that's what i understood," she concurred. "This place is some kind of a … nexus, or central convergence point for the universe. By defending here, we're stopping great evil from entering our world."

"Or, our former world," Kal said solemnly.

"I know," she answered in a whisper. "We're not supposed to look back."

"If we can't look back, then it follows that we can't go back," he said thoughtfully. "Do you believe this to be true?"

"I sensed it," she said firmly. "Right now, our earth is experiencing a level of peace greater than any in our lifetime. There is still some discord there, but the level of safety is … immeasurable by comparison."

"I believe that, whatever this offer is, it's legitimate. We should take some time, try to fully digest it, and think on it."

Then, Kal's demeanor changed. He became more eased and relaxed, and he floated close to within a hair's breath of her lovely face.

"Did you sense anything else?" he whispered in a low voice.

"I did," she told him, her visage breaking out into a slight smile. "It seems that the vibrations of this island are filtered into the realm of our earth."

"And …," Kal prompted sweetly, floating even closer.

"And feelings of … amore … are strongly encouraged here. It's somehow encoded in the very atmosphere of the island."

"All this … almost seems too good to be true. It's like some kind of paradise."

This is truly quite a gift for us," Diana told him with a smile adorned with a touch of mischief as she slipped her arms around his neck. "It seems we have both time and space here."

"The freedom to enjoy what we have," whispered Kal as he wrapped his strong arms around her slim waist, then leaned in and kissed the special sweet spot they had found underneath her right ear.

Diana didn't hold back the gasp which slipped from her lips before she'd realized it, and she indulged in the moan that he drew from her as he followed his kiss with a long slow suckle which he knew she would love. Her hands involuntarily tangled in his hair as her mouth fell open, and she wanted nothing more in the universe than for him to continue playing the orchestra of her body as the master conductor he was.

Then, Diana let her hands flow downward and feel along the broad planes of his muscular pecs before she forced them to push her backward away from him. With a playful laugh, knowing what she was doing, Kal floated near her with a manly enticing smile. He loved the way they were with each other.

"Unhand me, Great Kal-El and Heir of all Krypton," Diana spoke with a playful regal air while floating out of his arms. "I am The Princess of Themyscira, and i am your equal in every way."

"You're the only woman in the universe for me, Diana," Kal whispered to her. "I … I could imagine living happily ever after with you here on this island. Perhaps this is the very reason we were brought here?"

"It could be," Diana whispered thoughtfully.

"What would you say, if i got down on one knee, and asked …" Kal said with a quiet reserve, knowing that he loved her so much that he could barely handle the thought of her rejecting his proposal.

"If … If you asked," Diana said with a glow in her eyes as she glanced up at the heavens. "I would say yes."

"Would you promise?"

"I would pledge myself to you forever."

"Would you?" Kal whispered as he slowly floated around behind her.

Softly placing his large hands on her slim hips with featherlight touches, Kal gently caressed Diana as they pressed together in a lover's embrace. Lost in love as they floated in the sky, she laid her left cheek on his right, basking in the wealth of tender emotions between them. Her left hand fell onto his hip while her right held his hand more tightly on her, drawing them as close as possible. Their hair blew together in the winds around them, and their capes slowly started to enfold them in a cocoon of love. Kal and Diana were so happy, in love, and at peace that the two of them could have stayed floating through the universe in this embrace forever.

"Oh yes," she answered with a bright smile to him over her shoulder. "If you can catch me."

With that, Diana was out of his arms and gone in the twinkling of an eye. Booming winds resounded from her departure, and Kal's cape whipped wildly around him as he calmly looked after her.

With the wind howling around her with her incredible momentum, Diana turned to glance behind her. Waiting for her to look back as he knew she would, Kal continued hovering in place and gave her a feigned yawn of fatigue. His comical demeanor was calm and uninterested.

Diana faced back forward and pushed herself even faster with a heavy growl of exertion. She was determined to beat him this time. The atmosphere around her split and crackled under her power.

As focused as she was on moving forward, she didn't even feel the torrent of air which slipped soundlessly past her.

Now cascading over a large island, it took Diana's eyes a moment to make out his powerful muscular red caped form suddenly hovering beside a large mountain range up ahead of her.

Diana's eyes widened in surprise. Her Kal was so powerful. His speed and might were truly unmatched. She absolutely loved seeing him cut loose and display himself like this. As immense as were his abilities, the times when he could really let go were very few and far between. This moment with him was exceedingly joyful for her.

Diana gave him a wide grin as she shot past him, angling her flight so that she missed hitting him by only a few feet. Seemingly calm, Kal gave her another yawn as if he was positively bored with her attempt to defeat him. Leaving him miles behind her, Diana smiled to herself. It would hopefully take him a few seconds to devise her plan, and it may give her the few milliseconds she needed to beat him. She flew even faster.

Kal's face broke into a wide open smile as his lady warrior soared past him. Hopefully, she hadn't noticed the slight sweat on his forehead or the tense posture of his muscles. Beating Diana in these races was actually far more taxing than he let her know. She was indeed very fast, and she truly did rival him in every way. He knew that it was a little cocky of him not to let her know this, but he so enjoyed playing with her like this. Also, watching her beauty in motion was a wonder to behold and truly one of the great joys of his life.

Kal was so focused on staring at Diana that her plan worked to perfection. A torrential force of atmospheric turbulence followed by several pounding sonic booms crashed over him. Kal bounced through the air in surprise, his invulnerable form remaining completely unharmed by the powerful forces around him. Still, he was momentarily annoyed at losing even a single moment of gazing at the beauty of the love of his life.

Then, catching sight of her once again, now miles away from him, he watched her glance over her shoulder at him. Her lovely eyes were full of determination, mischief and playful guile.

That's when it hit him.

She was trying to beat him.

Kal took off like a shot at full speed. His immense power forced the atmosphere in front of him to part unnaturally, bending it to his humble will. He smiled brightly as he raced after Diana.

Diana knew she had beaten him. She had him this time. Yes. Finally.

Her goddess level abilities could rival the powers of Kryptonians. She knew this to be true from the times when she'd had to release her full power to battle the mighty Faora. Still, Kal was the most powerful of any of them, perhaps because his physiology had spent an entire lifetime absorbing the enhancing rays of the Sun. Also, having been affected in his formative years, there was also the probability that his cells had literally matured with enhanced power.

However, in her mind, Diana also liked the thought that the great powers he wielded were simply Kal. She had never ever met a person with more virtue, honor and humbleness than he, and she imagined that there was none more worthy than he to be given such gifts. Above all, she was heady with the thought that she was the one blessed to be his love. She felt that she was the only one to be his equal in every way. It almost seemed as if they were truly made for one another.

As even more of her heart bound eternally to Kal, Diana felt that she couldn't love him more than she did at this moment.

Comically, one millisecond later, she was certain that she couldn't be more angry with him than she was at this moment.

Kal was hovering above a large field of lovely multi-colored flowers only a mile up ahead of her. He was yawning.

Diana screeched in fury and angled her flight directly toward him. Throwing her whole body on top of him, she crashed into his stationary form and sent them both soaring through several fields before skidding across the ground and eventually tumbling together through the soft flowers.

Kal laughed heartily as Diana beat her fists against his chest in feigned fury. With her strength, her blows would have reduced the body of a normal man to cinder, but Kal enjoyed being able to feel her like this.

"Ohhh, you're such a ... a man!" she beamed as she pushed at him.

Kal only laughed even harder under her assault. They tumbled side over side, holding onto each other tightly. Kal caught sight of a massive tree off to one side up ahead of them, and he reached a hand out to dig his strong fingers into the bark of its trunk. Gripping Diana around her waist to hold her steady on top of him, he halted their momentum and let the updrafts swing them high as he kept them anchored with his hold. The two of them crashed back onto the ground underneath him with Diana planted firmly on top of him, still pressed together like teenagers. Both of them felt free and young, completely undaunted by the responsibilities of the former world.

"Admit to me that i am your most formidable opponent," Diana demanded playfully.

"Well, you are certainly without a doubt by far the most beautiful," Kal retorted.

"Tell me i am your best," she requested sweetly, placing her hands on the sides of his face and caressing his cheeks with her fingers.

"That you are, Princess," her paramour smiled.

Diana smiled, then kissed Kal deeply and sensuously, allowing all the love in her heart to flow through her lips. Releasing all of their long pent up desire, the two of them pressed together sweetly and tenderly, feeling just a touch of the overflowing passion barely held at bay. Kal began to return her kiss vehemently, pulling her closer down upon him, making certain there was absolutely no space between their bodies. Their lips and tongues moved with one synonymous motion, forming together perfectly in their union.

It wasn't enough. For the two of them, there would never be enough. They desperately needed more of one another.

Giving him a dark eyed sultry smile as she stood up between his legs, Diana slowly and sexily reached up to undo only the top clasp of her golden bustier. Her corset slipped down just an inch, completely capturing Kal's undivided attention in her sensual allure. A little more of the creamy smooth skin of her ample breasts met his gaze, and his mouth was suddenly so dry from desiring the taste of her that he had to lick his lips.

That had been the reaction she had been going for, and Diana smiled down at him with joy.

She absolutely adored the fact that she was the only woman which could make this man lose control. She knew that he had spent his entire life maintaining this reign over himself, and the thought that she was woman enough to make him lose his control was intoxicating to her.

Flipping her long dark hair out to let it swing in the gentle breeze blowing around them, she then moved her hands up to the top of her shoulders. As transfixed as he was in gazing upon her every movement, Kal almost didn't register that she had left the ground and was now slowly starting to float away from him. With a playful twist of her lips, Diana quickly unclasped her cups while simultaneously undoing the last connectors on her bustier.

Smiling down at Kal with a gleam in her eyes, Diana released her corset and let it fall away. At the same time, she let go of her cape and let the wind carry it forward. Just as Kal's eyes widened to gaze at her unadulterated beauty, the cape comically whipped into his face and obscured his view. He chuckled at her playfulness as he quickly pulled the cape from over his head.

By the time his vision refocused, Diana was miles above him, hovering away up into the sky. As Kal watched, several items were falling toward him. His eyes narrowed.

Her heels bounced onto the ground near his feet.

Her bracelets landed beside his knees.

Her trousers floated down between his thighs.

Kal looked upward to see her shining face gazing down at him as she was silhouetted by the sun behind her. He smiled brightly back up at her. In less than a second, he was shooting up through the air between them. His uniform was left lying on the ground beneath him, and his red cape slowly floated down onto the soft grass.

The two of them embraced, with the beauty of the heavens surrounding them as they soared through the universe. 

* * *

Stargazing.

That's what it's called when two lovers embrace the trichotomy of physically lying in each other's arms, while mentally exploring the heavens, and spiritually learning to see the true beauty within one another.

Both Kal and Diana had seen the far reaches of outer space up close and personal before.

But ... not like this.

Never before had the two of them been free to allow themselves to affect the world around them.

This view was now something very new.

For most couples, when they experience ultimate intimacy between them, the common colloquialism says ... the earth moved.

For these two ... the universe moved ... literally.

They had created their own personal celestial light show.

Above them, the shining bodies and stars of the heavens were a spectacular display. The unbridled intimacy of their love had literally lit up the sky. Beautiful sparkling stars streaked over the skyscape, glowing cosmic debris constantly criss crossed to leave lovely trails written across the halo, and bright lights continually burst in explosions like fireworks from the waves of energy still radiating throughout the realm.

It was as if the universe was roiling with a playful turmoil. Powerful gravimetric waves were thundering throughout the solar system, misaligned planets were slowly slipping back into their natural orbits, and rocky debris which had been turned into shooting stars left beautiful glowing streaks blazing across the heavens.

The heavens seemed to be joyful, basking in the burst of their release.

The planet itself had become a cradle for their love. Their continuous ... activity ... for the last three days had affected the physical universe around them. The lovers were truly in the most unique of positions, one which only the two of them could have created. They were lying entwined in one another's arms, comfortably resting on a small hill of soft gentle sand. Atop one of the highest mountains on the planet, they had actually turned it into a warm beach. The ocean waters, stirred into massive upheaval, now reached up to the height of the mountain ranges. Kal and Diana lay perfectly positioned at the edge of the receding tidal waves, almost the same as a normal couple would if they were enjoying a sunny day at the beach. Heated waves constantly bathed their feet and toes, occasionally surging upward to flow over their knees and thighs, soothing them like a warm cleansing. Underneath them, the ground was in a constant motion with aftershocks from earlier earthquakes caused by their gravimetric distortions, and it registered to the lovers akin to a waterbed massage or vibrating sofa.

With his flowing red cape stretched over them on top of her own blue cloak, his majestic hope symbol lay over their torsos. Bare underneath its warm material, their legs wrapped around one another's while Diana rested her head on Kal's chest, lazily rubbing his broad pecs as he leisurely stroked her long soft hair. His other arm held her slim waist tightly against him while hers gripped along the side of his toned abdomen. After so long, they had finally been able to truly release with each other, fully give of themselves, and completely explore all they could be without restraint. Even after all they had experienced together for the past three days, both of them could feel that the constant desire between them was only temporarily sated. They could tell by the way they were absolutely unable to resist kissing, nibbling or suckling at the other's skin every few seconds. Laying together like this, they were the perfect portrait of serene tranquility. In touch with the universe around them, the lovers were able to enjoy the effects they had left upon the cosmos as they gazed up at the glorious heavens.

"Ohhh," Diana cooed, snuggling closer against Kal as a crumbling asteroid burst into a million pieces amidst Saturn's rings in a dazzling display of multi colored light.

"Look there," Kal said with a smile as he pointed with his right hand while pulling her tighter against him with his left arm. "Look. Those two comets are about to collide."

"I see it. I see it," Diana said with a beaming smile. "Here it comes."

There was a short pause as the two stared transfixed. Then, the two comet trails near Mars exploded into a brilliant show of light which cast a warm glow down over the mountain where Kal and Diana lay together. The remnants of the comets sparkled through the color spectrum like diamonds in the sky.

"Ohhh," the two lovers cooed together.

With the light from the comets shining on them, Kal used the added illumination as he turned to gaze down at Diana nestled against his side. She immediately noticed him looking away from the sight of the beautiful heavens and turned to look up at him in confusion.

"What are you looking at, Kal?" she asked.

"You know, as glorious as these stars are, they absolutely pale in comparison to the beauty that is you, Diana," he said in a heartfelt whisper.

"Oh, Kal," Diana said as her eyes fell and a somber mood fell over her.

She gazed across at his chest instead of meeting his eyes. His brow furrowed as he looked down at her. That hadn't been the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"What is it, Princess?" he asked quietly.

"Is this real? Shall things always be like this between us?" she asked as she turned to look up at him. "Or are we ... are we just in the ... honeymoon phase ... as it is called?" she asked questioningly. "I read that it passes with time."

"I ... I think this is a perk," Kal said with a confident smile.

"A ... perk?" Diana asked as she slid over to lay completely atop him, crossing her arms over his broad chest, his surprising answer having garnered her undivided attention.

"Yes," Kal told her. "You see, we deal with so many things, Diana. Our powers ... our beings ... who we are ... things such as these make it impossible for us to lead lives which others would consider normal. We have a responsibility unlike any other. Only you and i know the true cost of what we must endure. I fully believe ... that this love between us will burn just as brightly a thousand years from now as it does today. We were meant to be, you and i, perhaps from before either of us was even born. I truly think that ... as a joy, respite and recompense from all that would befall us ... we were blessed with this love ... and it will prove everlasting."

He watched the light in the depths of her eyes brighten as he spoke, not realizing that his own were doing the exact same thing.

"When thousands of years have passed, and you and i are perhaps the only two beings still living on this plane of creation, we'll fly among the universe," he whispered. "We'll become one in the heavens, and maybe we'll keep going until we change into a star. Perhaps we're not alone as we think. Maybe all of these stars in the heavens were once lovers like you and i, and they loved one another so much that they took their place as part of the celestial body together."

His poetic words cut through her heart like a bullet from Eros' gun. Diana felt a slight strain upon her eyes, but she would not let herself cry. She hadn't realized that a single tear had slipped out until she felt Kal wipe it from her cheek with his hand.

"As long as my heart beats, Kal, you won't ever be alone," Diana whispered.

"Neither of us shall ever be alone again," he told her, leaning into her.

They embraced in a chaste loving kiss, their lips only just barely touching. It was a promise … a marriage … an eternal union.

Then, in seemingly stark contrast to the words she had just uttered, Diana extricated herself from Kal with a soft sweet kiss on his cheek. She slowly slid out from under their capes and started to depart their cozy embrace. Peering at Kal with a sly smile of playful guile, she met his eyes with a joyful gaze. He was her completely captive audience, and she loved it. For an Amazon, having the total attention of the most powerful man in the physical universe focused solely on her was near to intoxication. Rising up, she stood quickly while simultaneously slipping his cape around her slim body.

Kal gave a low playful grumble at his being deprived of even the most momentary glimpse of his most beautiful woman in the universe. He ran a hand through his hair in feigned frustration, and Diana loved the way that the gentle winds flowed over it. Even as she walked away from him, she absolutely couldn't wait to run her fingers through it once again.

As Diana's feet started to pad lightly through the waters on the edge of the shore, she slowly began to draw the lower edge of his cape upward, giving her paramour a tantalizing view of her toned shapely calves. Slipping into the glistening crystal waters, Diana continued to allow Kal's cape to slowly slide down her body, inch by inch in concord with her steps. Knowing that he was watching her, she kept an extra sway in her hips, a little twist in her thighs, and slightly more flip in her swinging hair.

Watching intently behind her, Kal sat up on his elbows. He was absolutely and completely captivated by her every movement. His eyes focused, savoring each stretch and tense of all her fully feminine physique. He simply couldn't take his eyes off of her, even if he'd tried. Kal could feel his heart thumping, his pulse racing, and the slight sheen of sweat which broke out over his skin. As Diana slowly drew his cape higher and higher, he found himself licking his lips involuntarily, mesmerized by the thought of getting to taste her sweet nectar once again.

Smiling seductively at him over her shoulder, Diana was enthralled with the exact same thought as Kal, so much so that the mere weight of his gaze upon her caused a slight tremble in her muscles and a gentle tingle under her skin.

Kal watched intently as the edge of his cape neared the very top of her shapely womanly bottom, and he was practically holding his breath.

His eyes narrowed to slits intently, awaiting the perfect moment.

Then, water. Just water. Water.

Kal's mouth fell open as he groaned loudly and threw his head back in defeat.

Smiling brightly, Diana uttered the closest sound to a girlish giggle that she had ever made in her entire life. She simply couldn't believe how free she felt here on this island, so youthful, bright and uninhibited. It was truly a joy unspeakable.

With an exasperated sigh, Kal laid back down. She was killing him softly, and he couldn't think of a more fun way to perish. He took a deep breath, and blew air out loudly. Then, he heard a light splash which he could tell was meant to garner his attention, and he quickly sat back up and gazed at Diana once again.

His eyes immediately caught her own, and he was instantly refreshed by the playful light beckoning to him from within them. She was beaming at him, her eyes bright and captivating. Maybe he would get a glimpse after all. Kal sat up again, staring at her with an almost childlike silliness. Diana's smile grew even more, enjoying this joyful connection of love between them.

Still facing away from him, she turned, just slightly, and Kal took note of the fact that her torso was still above the water. His eyes grew wide as he inhaled, again involuntarily licking his lips as he remembered the taste of her. Still holding the top of his cape over her breasts, Diana began to let it slip down as she started to slowly turn around. She watched a brisk breeze blow through Kal's hair as he stared at her intently, pouring over every inch of her soft lovely skin. Then, with a sudden move, she turned all the way around and slipped under the water just as the top of his cape unveiled her.

Kal groaned loudly, a manly sound which made Diana laugh, an actual giggle this time. Both of them were filled with more happiness than they had ever thought possible. She was complete in him and he in her. Kal slumped back down onto the sand under him and Diana laughed even more. He looked back up at her just in time for her to blow him a kiss as she began swimming through the strong waters at a brisk pace.

Kal knew that he could use his vision to eye her through the water, but he simply smiled to himself with genuine joy at their being able to be playful with one another like this. It was a freedom which he had never thought they would be able to experience in their lives. As he blew a solemn and meaningful kiss to his love which she didn't see, he closed his eyes and slowly laid down to rest.

Neither of them knew that this would be the final moment of their freedom.

* * *

With the sun disappearing below the horizon line a short time later, a brisk chill began to descend upon the entire realm. The temperature had dropped considerably with the fall of night, but the cold which had entered the land was much more primal. There were now dark forces at work which would soon affect the island, the environment and the entire realm.

Out in the depths of the ocean, Diana found herself much farther from the shore than she had intended to be. Her warrior's body felt so good from her exertions with Kal that she had to stretch and work all of her muscles, just for the pleasure of being able to glory in how good he had made every single inch of her physique feel. Having been raised to be in complete harmony with her physicality, Kal had truly given her a residual effect unlike any other in her life, and she wanted feel it in totality.

Being in touch with her body, Diana noticed the rather sudden cold instantly. With the resilience of her natural powers as Wonder Woman, she didn't usually react very much to weather changes because she simply didn't feel them as drastically as most others do. However, she felt this cold, and not only did it seem to be coming from around her, but it also seemed to be coming from within.

She felt the presence before she saw it. With her warrior instincts quickly going into overdrive, Diana's head snapped around to look behind her.

There it was. Her eyes couldn't quite catch a full sight of it, but she followed the movement of the ocean water to allow her to track it. Whatever it was, it's physical body seemed to be long and slender, wide but thin, large and yet small. This creature was an anomalous enigma.

A strange, unique and unusual communication began to develop between them. Again, similar to what had happened at the temple, there were no words. Yet, she was somehow able to comprehend what was being conveyed to her. Diana began to hover without motion in the water, standing transfixed and bewildered, staring at the formless entity.

There were sensations of worry, fear and doubt. After a long moment, Diana was unable to determine if they were coming from herself or the entity.

The world they had left behind. She was reminded. But … But she … she had been warned not to look back. Not to …

Behind her, a small transparent portal slowly began to fade into existence. Flashes of locations on Earth quickly faded in and out of view. They were strange, distorted, almost as if being seen through a glass darkly. Then, her eyes caught on her homeland of Themyscira.

In that moment, everything changed.

Diana felt it immediately. A cold and almost malevolent chill began to permeate everything around her. The ocean waters which had been crystal clear quickly became overcast and clouded. The bright illumination of the moon lessened to a low and dim shadow of its former glow. The clear and uninhibited atmosphere became dampened with spatial debris and precipitation.

Suddenly, she was alone once again. The entity was gone. The waters were devoid of its presence.

As Diana continued to assess the changes in the environment around her, she could sense that a major change had taken place. One which wasn't so much in the visible world, as in the invisible, more spiritual than physical. She could tell that she was only barely able to fathom its complete implications.

As she began to sense the alterations in the world around her, only one thought focused in her mind.

Kal. She had to get to back to Kal. Water exploded upward in her wake as she took to the sky. 

* * *

Miles across the ocean, the strange effect quickly swept over every part of the realm.

Still resting on the shore in a light sleep, Kal sensed the change instantly. However, he was in touch with it on an even more intimate level than Diana. He hadn't fully realized it previously, but after their communication at the temple, he had been in touch with the universe on a level more connected than ever before.

Alarmed, he sat up and looked out over the island and sea surrounding him.

Somewhere deep within his spirit, he had been able to feel the undercurrents of the universe, all the way from the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space. It was almost as if he had been in touch with all of it somehow. He had been connected with it, and a part of it.

Now, that connection had been somehow severed. He hadn't even fully understood the nature or extent of it, but he could feel that it had been lost. On the surface, everything seemed to appear virtually the same, but it was now different. Very different. Something precious had been lost.

"Kal!" he heard Diana's voice call to him as she came racing over the water.

"Are you all right, Diana?" he said with concern as he stood to his feet.

Before the two of them could reach each other, things around them quickly went from bad to worse.

Behind them, the rock of the earth itself suddenly burst into life. Forming out of the very dirt in front of them, large humanoid figures began to emerge. Their features transformed from thin gravel and dirt to rigid rock and firm brick. They stood at least four feet taller than the couple, and they stared at them with dark dead eyes.

"We've got company," Kal said with a stern focus.

"I can sense that they are a result of everything being out of balance," elaborated Diana.

Without taking his eyes off of the rock monsters before them, Kal picked up his shirt. Completely in sync with him, Diana took Kal's cape and expertly tied it around her torso, positioning the garment to cover her from her breasts to her thighs. In a swift movement faster than the eye could see, Kal quickly wrapped his upper garment into a form fitting set of short trousers.

Before them, the monstrous army began to advance. The very ground itself shook under the massive weight of their heavy footfalls. The black orbs of their eyes were dark and devoid of consciousness.

"This looks like a job for us," Kal said sternly.

In perfect unison, Kal and Diana soared into battle. The two of them were a near perfect combination of their opposite qualities. Where he was power, she was precision. As she exuded beauty, he epitomized braun.

In front of the army, Kal slammed into the ground, sending surface cracking shockwaves out in a radial pattern from his powerful impact. The entire first line of the rock creatures were thrown upward several feet from the ground, a few of them actually incinerated by the sheer massive concussive force of Kal's strength. The whole army recoiled from his power.

As their bodies were discombobulated in the air, Diana swung her sword with measured, precise, and smooth strikes. Every swing of her magically sharpened razor thin blade sliced off flailing limbs, severed heads, and cleft some of them completely in twain. With a final spin which dismembered five more of the creatures that was equal parts beautiful and deadly, Diana landed in a classic warrior's stance, her gleaming sword drawn back poised to strike.

Then, just as soon as the army crumbled in front of them, more of the rock monstrosities began to form up out of the gravel. The creatures began to growl even before they were fully formed. It seemed as if they were simply going to continue to multiply.

"Princess, it's time to end this," The Man of Steel said firmly as he hovered above the battlefield.

Completely in sync with him, Wonder Woman acknowledged him with a determined nod. Then, she jumped forward with Kal's majestic cape flowing around her in the wind and landed in the midst of the reforming front line of the creatures. She went low and executed a perfect spinning leg sweep which threw several of the earth monsters up into the air. They landed on more of them reaching out to try to grab her, and created a small pile in front of her as they began to try to get back up to get to her.

Behind her, Superman's eyes began to glow red as he summoned his power from the sun.

Keeping her sword in her right hand, Diana used her left to snatch a hold of one of the creature's arms as it swung a powerful punch at her and yank it over across her to crash into two of them on her other side. Spinning smoothly, she swung her sword and sliced off the leg of the one nearest on her other side, leaving it tumbling forward off balance and causing several of the monsters approaching behind it to fall over its large frame.

"Now, Diana!" called Kal.

With a sly and triumphant smirk, Wonder Woman flipped backward with her arms extended out to her sides, floating upward in the air like an angel of grace. She had successfully focused the army's attention and drawn them to her en masse, leaving all of them exactly where she wanted them. They were now the perfect target for her partner.

Suddenly, blinding red force shot outward from Superman's eyes and began to flow over the entire shoreline. The monstrosities in the forefront of the army were incinerated almost instantly by the overpowering heat. As their parts burned to pieces, the others behind them raised their massive arms to try to protect themselves, but Kal was too powerful for them. The fire from his eyes overwhelmed the rest of the whole army, bearing down on them until they faded into oblivion. After several seconds, all that was left in the wake of the army was a landmass of smoldering ground.

Dark grey clouds and tendrils of smoke rose steadily from the debris of the army. Unseen in the void of the darkness, an entity began to take form. Unbeknownst to Kal and Diana, they had unwittingly fallen into the brilliantly devious trap which had been set for them.

The Man of Steel landed hard on the ground underneath him and immediately dropped to one knee. Releasing so much energy always left him feeling drained, depleted and exhausted. After taking a moment to gather his breath, he quickly looked around for Wonder Woman.

His heart eased as he immediately caught sight of her a few feet in front of him. However, his eyes squinted when he quickly took notice of her unusual posture. Strangely, she was on her knees, her head hanging down with her dark hair covering her face, and there was a slight intermittent tremble all over her body.

Kal immediately knew something was wrong with her. Despite the strain on his body, he quickly stood and started over toward her.

"Diana?" he called as he drew near. "Diana? Are you all right?"

With a slow, odd and eerie movement, she began to stand to her feet. She didn't answer, turn to face him or raise her head. As a low whisper of a hiss resounded from her, Kal stopped walking.

"Diana?"

Suddenly, she spun around swiftly. Her skin was pale, her body was shaking with some kind of inner turmoil, and her long hair was lifting in the air in an unnatural wind. Kal could only stare into her eyes, which were no more those which he knew so well.

Her eyes … were covered by a dark cloud.

"Princess?" Kal whispered quietly, hoping that her favorite term of endearment may somehow bring her back.

It had the opposite effect. Diana tore into the air toward him. Her sharp fingernails were poised to slice into him.

Despite the fact that she was cutting through the atmosphere at nearly the speed of light, time itself seemed to have become locked in a soundless slow motion.

Kal knew he could stop her, but with her force, it would almost certainly mean that he would have to execute … a final move … one which would probably only have one result. He could never bear to hurt her. Instead, it would be better if he let her do what she desired to him. If he didn't survive, so be it.

Wonder Woman had become the unstoppable force. The Man of Steel was the immovable object.

Their final moment was upon them … 

* * *

To be continued ...

* * *

Author's Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read this story! Just to provide some measure of clarity concerning this work, for those of you which have read the Romanogers chapters under this title, these continuing stories shall serve as both prequels and eventual sequels featuring all of the couples listed on my profile page. Please feel free to send requests for anything you may like to see included in this ongoing story. Again, thank you for reading and please enjoy!


	2. Paradise: The Sunset

The once pristine and serene atmosphere of the peaceful realm had been lost. The entire environment of the island was in utter turmoil. Torrential waters had slowly turned into full waterspouts, sparkling heavens had become dull fields of floating debris, the landmass of the region was now trembling with gravimetric upheaval, and near hurricane winds rushed continually throughout the atmosphere. The world had changed.

Superman and Wonder Woman were in the worst moment of their lives … against each other. Having inadvertently allowed evil to enter the realm, they were now under direct attack. Every choice now was life or death.

Diana soared at Kal with her hands extended, her finely french manicured nails now shining like claws. Kal didn't raise his hands in defense, knowing that in his weakened state, only a killing blow would stop her. His eyes seemed to visualize everything in a strange slow motion as she drew ever closer and closer.

Then, he reacted. Suddenly allowing himself to fall backward, Kal reached up and snatched hold of Diana's wrists to barely keep her inches away from slashing into his throat. Her powerful momentum sent them careening backwards several yards, crashing through two thick trees before finally coming to a halt against a third. Still holding her arms steady, Kal tried to reach her.

"Diana?" he called desperately. "Diana? Can you hear me? Come back to me."

He stared up into her eyes. Except, they weren't hers anymore. The crystal blue he had loved to gaze into were now gone. Ominously, in their place, floated continually moving clouds of dark smoke. Kal had an inclination that he had to find some way to free her from this possession before the clouds stopped moving and solidified, or perhaps, there may be no way to save her ever again.

Quickly feeling that he still had too much strength for her to move her arms, Diana snatched her arms backward and began slashing at his head violently. Gone was the precision of the master warrior, now replaced by mindless malicious madness. As two of her vicious strikes cut near his eyes, The Man of Steel powered his red pupils. Even not at full strength, his searing heat could almost certainly still slice through her. Just the thought of hurting her in any way immediately made him power down, choosing to remain completely vulnerable at her mercy if necessary.

Almost as if sensing his vulnerability to her, the demon possessed Diana drew her hands back and plunged them downward into his body instead of upward at his face. Her razor sharp nails cut deeply into both sides of his abdomen, penetrating his ribcage. Kal grimaced with intense pain, and in reaction, he snatched hold of Diana's slim waist and slung her sideways off of him, sending her flying through the air toward a large rock face off to their left side.

"No!" hollered Kal, realizing what he had done.

With incredible speed, Superman rose up and cut through the air behind Wonder Woman's flailing body. Positioning himself between the rocks and Wonder Woman, he allowed her body to crash into his own to absorb her impact and keep her from harm.

"It's okay, Diana," he whispered in her ear. "I've got you."

Unfortunately, she no longer had such reservations. Feeling his arms around her waist, she knew that he was defenseless. With a war cry, she spun around and tried to smash an elbow into his jaw. She missed, but quickly readjusted. Following that attempted strike, Wonder Woman swung a hard punch at his head. Superman moved to the side, and rock debris exploded as her fist slammed into the wall. As she swung with her other fist, Kal was fast enough to catch her wrist and yank it downward. He turned her arm, forcing her body to turn away from him to prevent her next attack.

Diana responded by catching hold of his hand and pulling him toward her. She spun back around and grabbed onto his arm with her other hand, then used all her body weight and force to throw him toward the ground. The Man of Steel slammed into the ground on his back, and she was on top of him instantly, smashing both her knees into his already injured abdomen.

Again, she gave a loud cry as she swung her claws down at his throat. Kal caught her hands again, but this time, she was already cutting into his skin, now only inches from his jugular vein.

She was going to kill him.

He could stop her.

However, he would have to cut through her.

He would sacrifice himself first.

Behind her, a strange sight caught his eye. Just over her shoulder, it was there. An intense feeling of foreboding, darkness and malevolence accompanied just the very sight of it.

Kal stared transfixed. The entity was distracting him, giving the possessed Wonder Woman the opening to finish him. However, it wanted to reveal itself to him. It was the possessor.

As before, Kal began to perceive a higher level communication. Intense sensations, vague images blurred visions.

The entity wanted him to know that it had beaten him, that it would have Diana in fire forever, and that there was nothing he could do to stop it. It was old, ancient and had existed long before known time. It was the source of all evil. It had been known by many names, such as the Great Adversary, the Serpent and the Deceiver.

On a level so high that it was beyond his comprehension, somewhere in his spirit, Kal knew that he was no match for this being. He had lost Diana. Slowly, Kal closed his eyes and prayed for help from the depths of his soul.

When he opened his eyes, Kal realized that the three of them were not alone. Above the darkness of the entity, there was a light. He understood that it had always been there. He had simply not opened his spiritual eyes to be able to see it until now.

As he watched, the light began to rise higher. Almost with a smooth flow, the reach of the light began to expand, and in seconds, the dark entity could no longer be seen. Kal knew that it was still there, but the salvation of the entity of light had provided an opening.

However, to his dismay, the light began to recede. It continued to all the way up into the sky. As Kal kept his eyes on it, the dark clouds which had gathered in the heavens ever since Diana had returned began to break and move open.

The being of light blended into the brightness of the sun behind it.

The light.

Of the sun.

Even though the very symbol and designation of his family crest had been of this very thing, in his darkest moment, there was The One there to give him hope.

And, perhaps, a path to salvation.

He prayed that his idea would work to save her.

"Diana, my love," he said to her, desperately hoping to bring back the eyes he loved so much. "Hold on. Just hold on."

With that, Kal forced his body to shoot up off the ground, taking Diana with him. His sudden momentum caught her unawares, and she lost the strength in her arms, slipping forward to fall against him. With her legs slipping forward to lay around his waist as her arms fell over his neck, he had her right where he wanted her. The Man of Steel grunted as he increased his speed, breaking the sound barrier with a loud sonic boom as he tore through the atmosphere. He knew that Wonder Woman would recover soon, and he had to get them as close to his objective as he could before that.

He felt the first slash of fingernails tearing deep gashes into his back just he passed the moon. Two more searing cuts tore through the skin of his back and left trails of blood coursing downward. The Man of Steel grit his teeth in pain, bearing it all for the love of his life. He would endure anything for her.

He pressed on. Only a little farther …

Then, just as suddenly as he began their ascent to catch her off guard, Kal halted. Wonder Woman immediately flew out of his arms and was miles away from him in seconds. Focusing his strength and energy, The Man of Steel surged forward. Just as she was slowing her momentum to start to fly back at him in attack, he reached her, dodged a vicious swing intended to decapitate him, and snatched a firm hold of her waist. Positioning himself behind her, he locked his strong arms around her abdomen and spun around while again surging forward, this time holding her in front of him as they finally reached his objective.

The Sun loomed glorious and brilliantly bright before them. At this close proximity, its piercing light began to cut into Wonder Woman. With an inhuman screech, she raised her arms to cover her eyes. As she screamed, she started to try to fly backward, pushing against him. In his weakened condition, her strength threatened to overtake him. Empowered by the sun, Kal kept pushing the two of them even closer.

Then, he heard the sound which let him know that it was working. Her scream quickly began to morph into the sound of two voices, one of Diana and the other a low menacing hissing growl which dripped with evil. Kal hollered with the extreme effort of continuing to push them forward.

Suddenly, Kal felt a jarring jolt from Diana's body, and then she struggled against him no more. Kal instantly stopped pushing them forward and lowered her now limp body to hold her in his arms. As she seemed to begin to lose consciousness, he watched long tendrils of dark black smoke seem to flow out of her eyes. He pulled her away from the darkness as it left her body and stared down at her with eyes full of desperation.

"Diana?" he called intensely. "Diana? Can you hear me?"

Movement in front of him caught his eye, and Kal looked up. He recoiled quickly from the sensation of the dark malevolent power before him, holding Diana tighter and away from it protectively.

Still, in this moment, he understood that his plan had failed. With Diana unconscious and he weakened, they were at the mercy of the dark entity. He knew that the way of this thing was to attack from within, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Menacingly, it began to float closer to them.

Then, the light of The Sun seemed to begin to glow even more brightly. It quickly became so intense that its strength was somehow even hurting his eyes, which had never happened to him before. As he watched through squinted eyelids, The Light quickly began to overcome the dark one, its power enveloping the evil until its darkness was completely overpowered.

A momentary burst of energy which was so powerful that it knocked Kal backward end over end sent him flying backward, and he hurriedly righted himself while holding Diana tightly against him. As they floated near the moon, Kal stared down at his love. Holding her around her waist horizontally against him, he placed his hand over her heart.

No heartbeat. No breath. No life.

His eyes strained. His teeth grit. His spirit fell.

Diana was gone. She was dead. He had lost her.

"Diana?" he whispered, holding back his tears as he contemplated the horror of living thousands of years of life without her. "Don't go, my love. Don't leave. Please don't go."

Her eyes remained closed. The only movement from her was a small tear which slipped from the side of her eye. With a tender, shaking hand, Kal brushed the tear away as he leaned down upon her. He kissed her, pleading and imploring for her to return.

As their lips touched, their hearts, minds and souls were bonded, and both of them remembered their past, their lives, their beginning … 

* * *

To be continued ...


	3. Paradise: The Beast

One Year Earlier

The Isle of Themyscira

Dawn

The nightmare was always the same. It had started three months ago, and she now had it every time she closed her eyes to sleep. It had been etched into her memory.

In her mind's eye, everything always moved in a strange kind of dreadful slow motion.

A great battle between good and evil was taking place, perhaps one of the greatest of all time. A powerful warrior was standing alone against a beast of hellish power, battling to save the fate of the entire world. He stood all by himself. There was none other to stand by his side to help him.

Without help, he would fall. Alone, he would die. Without her, he would have no hope.

She found herself racing through the skies to get to him. If she could just make it to the battle in time, she could turn the tide. She was The Wonder Woman of Themyscira, the strongest woman in the universe, and her presence could lead the way to victory.

She wouldn't make it. Despite all her power, she would be powerless to reach him. All that would be left for her when she arrived would be his lifeless corpse.

Kneeling beside him, she could never see his face. He was only a shadow, a faceless hero of courage and valor, which somehow made him even more majestic to her.

Rage, anger and sorrow would well up from within her, on a level which she couldn't even comprehend, and she would lift her head and scream to the sun with tears in her eyes.

The sound of her own war cry would always jar her awake. Tonight was no different. She opened her eyes with the sound of her screech still echoing in her ears.

With the bright light of the moon flowing in through the open windows of her bedroom, Diana of Themyscira sat up slowly in her bed. She raised a frustrated hand up to brush her lengthy hair out of her eyes. Lifting her long legs over the side of her bed, she stood up and walked over to her window.

Floating up through the opening with a natural grace which was stunning in its beauty, she hovered in the air a few yards until she reached the shore of the ocean expanse. A good swim always helped her physically, mentally and spiritually. As long as she could stretch her body, the movement allowed her to clear her mind and be more in touch with herself. She enjoyed the peace, tranquility and solitude of times like these.

Which Diana would not find on this particular morning.

"You can't run from dreams, child. They stay with you," an old woman's craggly voice quietly called out to her from a small row of foliage a short distance away.

Although she was startled by the unseen company, Diana didn't let her discomfort with the old woman's presence show. This particular visitor wasn't unwelcome, and this wasn't the first time this had happened. And, truth be told, Diana knew that she may have knowledge which could prove very useful to her.

The old woman was more commonly known as The Seer on the island of Themyscira. Although blind, her family line had been gifted with a clairvoyant sight and had assisted the line of queens all the way down to Hippolyta. Her entire lineage had remained shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and speculation, and they had always been revered, avoided and feared by the average Amazon. This particular Seer had always taken a special interest in Diana, as Diana was indeed the most powerful woman in the entire history of the island. To The Seer, Diana's godlike powers were obvious and evident, and therefore she had always been fascinated by the more human and womanly side of her, even to the point of being annoying.

"What do you know of my dreams?" Diana asked, turning to look at the old woman.

"I know they have been troubled for some time," she answered, looking down at the ground in a kind of reverence to Diana. "I have seen only shades and images, but i can sense their nature."

"My mind is private," Diana told her, looking back out over the ocean, more than a little unnerved that The Seer had a strange private connection to her. "Allow me my privacy," she said, starting to walk toward the water.

"I know that they involve a man."

At her words, Diana stopped dead in her tracks.

On an island full of women, most of which hated men and the world from which they come, Diana had very few close to her in which she could confide such a secret. If The Seer already knew this most intimate truth, then perhaps she could converse with her to search for the deeper meaning of these dreams. If she opened up a little, then maybe this woman could help her.

"What else do you see?" Diana asked quietly, still a little reluctant to give confirmation to her earlier statement.

"I know that there is more to be seen, but you are afraid to accept it."

"What?" exclaimed Diana incredulously, turning to stare the old woman. "You are mistaken, wise one," she said respectfully. "I know no fear."

"Of course, you do, child," The Seer told her with a somewhat disrespectful snicker, absentmindedly allowing her own lack of adequate people communication skills to slip through. Since most of the women had always shunned her and her family line, her personality had grown to be awkward and quirky over the years. "You may be the most powerful woman in the world, but you're still a brash, petulant, stubborn young woman that thinks she can conquer the universe all by herself. Well, maybe you could conquer the universe all by yourself, but that doesn't change the fact that you're too foolish to admit when you're afraid."

"And what exactly am i afraid of?" asked Diana, placing her hands on her hips in an opposing stance, oddly looking every bit the part of the kind of young girl as she had just been described.

"You fear him," The Seer said firmly. "Yes, you are afraid. You don't want to get close to him, because he is a man. You need to open yourself, so that you can see more."

Diana opened her mouth to speak, but then held her peace. Easing her posture, she turned to gaze out over the ocean once again. She searched herself, and she found some truth to the words which had been spoken to her. Now, the tables had turned and Diana wanted answers from the old man.

"Seer, you know that all our sisters despise the race of men," she said as she turned. "My mother would never approve of …"

The old woman was gone.

All alone now, Diana looked up at the sky, wondering what the future held in store for her.

The Northern Hemisphere

Noon

It was good day for the world to end.

The sun hadn't seemed to rise, as heavy clouds covering the sky had obscured it since the early morning. There was an extra chill in the always cool atmosphere, adding another layer of foreboding dread to the damp air. It was truly going to be a dark day.

Hundreds of miles away, looking up at the same sky as Diana, Kal-El of Krypton stood tall over the icy tundra of his homeland. His majestic cape flowed behind him in the ever blowing winds.

With his Fortress behind him, he prepared to take flight to the heavens. Saying a silent prayer to The Lord as he closed his eyes, the man which the world had come to call Superman slowly kneeled down to one knee as he focused his immense power.

Then, as the ice surrounding him began to rise up into the air and he was about to take flight, the voice of doom resounded over the landscape.

"I'm sorry, Kal-El, but you have left me no choice but this last resort. Now, i will destroy everything."

Zod.

General Zod.

The General Zod.

The voice boomed out from all over the fortress, seeming to resonate from every wall and structure. Kal stood and turned around to face the still open main entranceway. With a slow measured pace, he walked back into the fortress with a stern grimace on his visage.

"If this message has been activated, then you've forced my hand."

Kal went to his central control room and looked around for the holographic projection of his father Jor-El. He was not to be found. Kal had suspected as much. He had noticed hints of a sophisticated virus inside the mainframe, and he was virtually certain that it had been General Zod's doing, but he had been unable to devise a way to locate and extricate it. Whatever override this was, it had probably temporarily shut down all other functions of the fortress.

"I had placed our military fail safe mass destruction iniative into orbit around the moon of this planet. Its lone occupant has now landed on this world. It is an indestructible beast. It will burrow to the core of this planet and cause it to implode from the inside, as it has killed other worlds before. I wish that you had chosen to serve me, and let this race die so that my new Krypton could live. Now, in my anger, you will die with Earth."

With those final words, the ominous message ended.

The Man of Steel knew where the battle would be. He knew where he had to go. Metropolis.

Metropolis

The city was a scene of complete chaos. Tendrils of black smoke streamed upward and formed dark clouds hanging over the entire region. Screams of fear and terror resounded from every corner of the area, even more so from the center of the massive expanse.

The Beast had landed in Metropolis a short time ago, and had quickly cut a path of destruction directly to its middle. All the national guard units still in the area from the recent catastrophe of battling to stop the Kryptonians had immediately attempted to stop the monster.

They had been doomed. The assault had been brutal, pitched and short. All of the military forces had been left broken in flaming shambles. Large chunks of torn and shredded metal from their various vehicles lined the path of carnage through the city.

The monster Doomsday charged forward on its path of ultimate destruction undaunted. There didn't seem to be any way to stop it. The creature was fear, death and terror personified.

All that any of the emergency responders could do was to attempt to evacuate as many people as they could. Even small pockets of people which had hunkered down and tried to hide until the chaos had passed were forced to leave their hiding places. From very near the middle of the city, a small bus full of school children tried to rush to safety past the monster. With incredible agility, Doomsday snatched up the bus, lifted it over its head, and then threw it toward a building behind it.

As the bus flew through the air, everyone on board screamed at the top of their lungs. They were about to die. Their cries were heard.

The bus stopped in mid air.

They were saved.

The Man of Steel had returned.

Several feet away, the monster Doomsday had turned around to return to its business. It had waited for the sounds of killing which would ring out from the destruction of the vehicle it had just thrown through the air. When there was no death in its wake, the monster's full attention was garnered.

It stopped. And turned. To look over its shoulder with a fierce glare.

As the bus lowered to the ground seemingly of its own volition, Doomsday turned around to look at it.

Hovering up above and over it, was The Man of Steel.

He lowered to the ground with a slow, focused intensity. The were now face to face. He and The Beast stood fifty yards apart, the world around them moving in a unique slow motion.

Then, the monster charged. A moment later, Kal the defender surged forward to match it. For the two combatants, time itself seemed to slow down. Every motion and movement became flowing, fluid and forceful. Before ever having touched each other, they were locked in the symbiosis of combat.

Doomsday swung a blow from the left, its massive and powerful arm focusing the full force it could generate. In perfect counter synchronicity, Kal swung a strong right cross, his immense strength concentrated and focused. The two combatants connected at the exact same moment.

The effect was monumental. The concussive force which resounded from their mutual impacts sent out a shockwave that exploded every glass window for over a mile. Both The Man of Steel and Doomsday recoiled from their first confrontation, Kal falling backward to kneel on one knee, and The Beast stumbling but able to remain standing.

A trail of blood slid from the side of Kal's mouth. He had never been hit that hard before in his lifetime. The sharp protrusions from Doomsday's fist had left him bleeding badly. His body was still beaten, sore and badly injured from his battle with General Zod yesterday. Kal knew that his spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. He had to accept the fact that even at his full strength, he had little chance of beating a creature this strong. Still weakened from defeating Zod, winning this battle was almost an impossibility.

The ultimate military general had chosen his final confrontation very well.

There was no way for Superman to win this.

This realization would in no way deter his stand. As he stood to his feet, Kal saw that his problems were even larger than he had at first contemplated.

Moving back into the fray, two heavily armoured military tanks swiftly drove out from opposite sides in a coordinated attack. Both vehicles fired massive artillery shells at the monster positioned between them.

The two massive artillery shells exploded on the shoulders of The Beast … and had no effect.

"No!" yelled The Man of Steel. "Get back! Stay away from it!"

It was too late. Doomsday jumped into the air and smashed the gun turret of the left tank in two, then reached down to grab its front end and lift up the entire vehicle. With another leap, the monster was soaring downward toward the second tank, preparing to use the first tank as a battering ram.

Just as Doomsday swung downward to obliterate both tanks and the men inside, its motion was suddenly halted.

The Man of Steel stood tall between Doomsday and the lives of the men below them. He had snatched hold of the tank Doomsday had been swinging, the momentum almost crushing him as he struggled to remain hovering inches above the tank underneath them. He had saved the men, but he had left himself vulnerable.

With a vicious growl, Doomsday swung a massive left fist downward into the side of Kal's torso. The impact was devastating, from not only the immense strength of The Beast, but the sharp metal protrusions of metal like bone simultaneously cut deep into Superman's torso. Using his amazing speed, Kal was able to land the first tank safely on the ground as he slid backward, unable to prevent the jarring impact of the tank as it dropped. The men inside were badly shaken, but alive. Then, gathering himself through the pain wracking his chest and body, Kal shot forward to slam into Doomsday before it could smash its fists down into the bottom tank.

Still, he was off balance, and Doomsday swung him around to slam him into the ground with a thunderous crash. Cracks extended outward in a radial pattern from Superman's back, the concrete shattered and splintered. Then, with a strong upward surge, Superman swung a mighty uppercut which connected solidly with Doomsday's jaw. The Beast was knocked backward up into the air, momentarily out of the fight.

With great struggle, Kal started to stand to his feet. He was injured, and very badly. He touched his hand to the side of his abdomen, and blood flowed over his palm. He knew that he may not last much longer.

"Superman!" a familiar voice called. "Superman! Do we have a plan?"

Kal looked up to see General Swanwick himself being helped out of one of the tanks by several soldiers under his command. An entire protection platoon had quickly gathered to his location, and The General hurriedly led them to over to stand near Superman.

Standing in front of The Man of Steel, General Swanwick paused. In his mind, he had always believed that this being was completely invulnerable. However, it seemed that he had been mistaken. Superman's uniform was torn, black bruises marred his skin and blood poured from open wounds.

The Man of Steel was still standing strong, but General Swanwick had seen soldiers die in battle many times before, and this man was at death's door.

"No plan this time, General," Kal told him, barely able to speak or even breathe from his mortal wounds. "This is Zod's doing. I've got to stop this thing."

"How can we help?" General Swanwick asked quickly.

"You can't. Not this time," said Kal. "Protecting people while I'm trying to fight this monster is giving it the advantage. The most important job for you to do is to get as many of these people to safety as you can. Get everyone out of here."

"If i do that, you'll be on your own," The General said reluctantly.

"It has to be this way," The Man of Steel said solemnly.

General Swanwick held his gaze for a long moment, then he nodded with the utmost respect.

"It has been … an honor," he said gravely.

"Thank you, General," Superman said.

With those last words, he took to the sky, leaving an expanding cloud of dust in his wake.

The Isle of Themyscira

At that moment, on Themyscira, a cadre of the Amazon elite had gathered to watch this epic battle unfold on the mystic viewing waters located on the lower central level of the royal palace. On the surface of its waters, an aerial view of the battle in the center of the city of Metropolis could be seen. From a distance, it appeared as if the end of the world was taking place.

Hurriedly walking into the room, Diana took her place standing by her mother's side. As she stared at the viewing waters, her heart stopped beating. Her eyes widened as she stared downward transfixed.

This was it. The battle she had been seeing in her dreams. It was him.

"Mother, we have to intervene," Diana said strongly, turning to face Queen Hippolyta.

"Excuse me, Daughter?" asked Hippolyta, taken very much by surprise at the ferocity in Diana's voice. She had always known that Diana had a proclivity for saving the entire world, and she had simply attributed it to the untold destiny in her future. However, she had no intention of losing her only child so soon. "We do not interfere in the affairs of the world of men."

"If we do not take action, there may not be a world left at all."

"When our borders are threatened, we shall take full action. Not before," Queen Hippolyta said firmly.

"By that time, the loss of life will be immeasurable," Diana retorted.

"Not our lives, Diana!" The Queen raised her voice. "Should the race of men fall, then perhaps we shall remake a better world in our own image."

"Mother, that sounds very much like the philosophy of Master Sorceress Circe," hissed Diana.

"The world isn't getting better, Diana! It's becoming worse!" Queen Hippolyta said loudly as she stepped toward her defiant daughter.

"If we as a race won't defend the world, then I alone will," Diana said with finality.

She turned away, quickly stomping toward the grand entrance. A split of ideology had just come to a head in the middle of the viewing room. There were some which believed in Diana as their prophesied true Wonder Woman of Themyscira whom they would ultimately follow into a new unknown rule. Then, there were the more traditional Amazons, which while they believed in Diana as Wonder Woman, they felt she should be taught to hate the outside world and would eventually conquer it in order to ensure their safety.

"Diana!" screamed Hippolyta. "Wonder Woman! You are not allowed to go! I forbid it!"

"I'm sorry, My Queen," said Diana, turning around to face her mother with a sad, but determined gaze. "There is more going on here than you know. It is our sacred duty to defend the world, and it is what I'm going to do."

"Daughter," Queen Hippolyta said with a quiet firmness. "The world is not worthy of you. If you leave the island now, you are under exile."

An intense gaze of utmost emotion held between the two matriarchs for a long moment, then Diana nodded solemnly.

"Forgive me," Wonder Woman whispered.

With those final words, she turned, walked out of the palace, and flew to the skies to face her destiny.

Metropolis

The ultimate battle had been tense, pitched and brutal. Time seemed to move in the hazy slow motion of final confrontation, where screams, hollers, punches, crashes and explosions all seem to flow together. Finality was drawing near.

Atlantic Ocean

Diana of Themyscira, The Wonder Woman, soared through the skies over the ocean as fast as she possibly could. With her mind focused on having left her only home, it took some time for realization of the moment to dawn upon her. As she looked down at her reflection in the surface of the waters, Diana couldn't believe where she was.

She was living the moment she had seen in her dreams.

Metropolis

As the surrounding city lay in complete shambles, Superman realized that the final moment was upon them.

Bloody, battered and broken, struggling to even breathe, The Saviour forced himself to stand to his feet. He turned around slowly, dreading the sight which would meet his almost swollen shut eyes. As he looked up, there it was.

The Beast stood. Having regained its strength much faster than he after their last volley of punches, it waited ominously.

Although diminished, it still stood tall, exuding evil and destructive force. The powerful physique framing the dark spirit was marred and bruised, even torn in some places, but it didn't seem to be displaying near the amount of damage which it had inflicted on its wounded opponent. The red eyes of the monster focused solely on destroying the weakened Saviour.

With the last breaths left in his body, knowing these were the final moments of his life, The Man of Steel soared toward the ultimate adversary Doomsday.

Whatever measure of victory which would be won this day, it would come at the highest cost, indeed, the ultimate sacrifice.

Northern Coast

Wonder Woman saw land approaching, and she pushed her body to its limits, forcing herself to fly faster.

No matter who this Man of Steel was, no matter how powerful he was, no matter how mighty he was, he was still a man, and standing alone she knew that he would perish without her.

It was a race against time, and she knew that she was losing.

Metropolis

Doomsday charged. Superman charged.

Superman clasped his fists and swung upward. Doomsday punched both its fists downward.

The concussive force of the impacts toppled every building near them in a one hundred yard radius.

Superman's fists hit the monster so hard its neck snapped. Doomsday's hands cut their sharp bone protrusions directly through the hero's heart, cutting it to shreds.

Both combatants stood still, facing one another, motionless, the battle complete.

A long, tense, silent moment passed.

Then, Doomsday fell. Tumbling forward, the monstrous brute landed at the feet of Superman, the red glow of its eyes fading out until inert.

Then, The Man of Steel dropped to one knee, feeling the spirit leaving his body. Blood poured from the gaping wounds in his chest, his shattered heart, and the very hands he had used to defend the world. With his last breath, he looked up at the sky, hoping for some sign of the sun to try to replenish the damage to his body, even though he knew he was beyond healing.

The day remained overcast. Clouds covered the sky. Not a ray of sunlight shown through, almost as if this end were destined to be.

Staring up at the sky over the highest hills of the city, feeling more alone than ever, Kal-El fell backward onto the ground underneath him, and closed his eyes for the final time.

At that moment, The Wonder Woman of Themyscira soared into the sky above the very hills which were his last vision.

She was too late.

Her first sight of him … was his lifeless body.

To Diana, it was a moment of sadness.

However, as the entire world watched through cameras and media, it was a moment befitting her name, as it was one of utmost wonder.

An angel of God had come to claim the body of The Man of Steel ...


	4. Paradise: The Princess

She was too late …

He was dead …

She had failed …

As had happened countless times in her dreams, she hadn't made it to the battle in time to save the life of the valiant warrior.

Soaring to slowly hover over what was left of the battlefield, Wonder Woman stared down at his lifeless body solemnly.

Beaten, battered, bloody … yet brave, strong and proud … even in his death. His demise had been honorable. He now lay quietly in a kind of hero's repose.

Landing on the ground near The Man of Steel, Wonder Woman felt no strength in her legs, and she dropped to her knees beside him.

For long silent moments, Diana stared at Kal's body. To know something was going to happen, and be powerless to stop it, somehow seemed to compound what felt like the ultimate failure. Looking up at the heavens, she watched the clouded skies of this dark overcast day start to part for the first time since the sun had arisen. Lowering her head, she stared back down as the rays of the sun just barely grazed the fingers of the fallen hero.

Then, the miraculous.

As the sun touched his hand, the dead man moved. Barely noticeable to the naked eye, but it was there.

A twinge.

A breeze.

A murmur.

Feeling sparkling embers of hope in her heart, Diana drew a deep breath. There was a chance. She had to try.

Slowly, tenderly, carefully slipping her hands under his body, Diana lifted him and cradled his head against her bosom. Then, with a grace immaculate, they began to float upward. With millions of eyes watching around the world, they ascended into the clouds above the sky.

Clearing the earth's atmosphere, Diana flew faster. She soared quickly through the solar system, reaching its center with incredible speed. Looking down at the man in her arms, she saw just the slightest modicum of color seeming to return to his face. Just this small hope, Howe minute, made her soar even faster.

Reaching the sun, the immeasurably powerful heat rays began to burn against her soft skin. She didn't stop. She wouldn't stop. Not if there was even the slightest chance of saving this man. Diana slowed her flight, the strain starting to become too much for her as she closed her eyes in her struggle. The awe inspiring power before her was immaculate in its grandeur and intensity, simply too powerful for any to draw too close and survive. Still, Diana pressed onward, until, she heard …

… a breath … shallow … but a sign … of life …

He was alive.

Opening her eyes, Diana looked down to see Kal's eyes fluttering slowly. As his eyes focused to gaze upon her, a look of dazed confusion crossed his visage. Then, immediately, the hero within him took over. Seeing the sweat pouring over her skin, the strain in her eyes, and the struggle in her spirit, Kal immediately began to push her back. Weakly, he began to move her backward from the intense heat, moving them both to a point of safe comfort.

Locked together in this intense moment, both Kal and Diana were very conscious of one another, and they found a distance from the incredibly powerful sun which both of them could maintain. They paused, floating in space, staring at one another.

"Are … Are you an angel?" whispered Kal. "Is this Heaven? Is Christ here?"

"You're alive," she answered. "My name is Diana. You saved everyone. The sun brought you back to life."

Kal opened his mouth to try to say something else, but he was nearly incoherent. He could barely stay conscious. Diana's brow furrowed in concern. Although he was alive, he was at death's door. He still may not make it.

"There," Kal breathed weakly, pointing back to Earth.

Diana followed his line of sight, and she immediately began to soar back toward Earth. Shortly, she caught sight of a small cylinder of light, a beacon, originating from somewhere in the North Pole. Diana knew that there must be something there which could help his condition, perhaps his home, somewhere he could rest as the rays of the sun healed him. She took off like a shot.

Entering Earth's atmosphere, Diana quickly neared the source of the beacon. It was a fortress of some kind, perhaps alien in nature, situated in an isolated remote location. Only the expanse of the icy arctic tundra surrounded it.

As she landed, a doorway began to open, and bright light burst forth from its center. A figure immediately appeared, and Diana stared up at it as she moved toward the entranceway. Still keeping her arms wrapped around Kal's waist to hold him against her body, she hurried swiftly.

"Bring him here quickly, please, hurry," the figure called to Diana.

"He's near death," said Diana.

"I know everything," he replied. "I've been monitoring him ever since the moment he left to face the beast."

"How? Who are you?"

"You may refer to me as Jor-El. I'm his father. More precisely, an advanced expanding algorithm designed for the purpose of guiding my son Kal-El."

Diana stared at Jor-El for a long moment as she approached him. This … program … or rather, this being … was very complex. He claimed to be just a scientific design, as Diana had studied from the technology of the world of man. However, the caring in his concerned voice and in his tortured eyes, his body language full of dreadful worry, and the urgency with which he drew her inside the fortress, all spoke of the real relationship between a father and son. However, examining the mysteries of Jor-El would have to wait until later. She had far more pressing concerns at the moment.

"Kal-El? His name is Kal-El?" she asked.

"Kal-El of Krypton, the last son of a world which was destroyed a long time ago. And i believe you are Diana of Themyscira, correct?"

"Yes," she answered in surprise. "How do you know of me?"

"I began to check every database in the world for recognition of you as soon as you appeared over Metropolis, and although there is very little confirmed information, there are a few substantial sightings of you, particularly in acts of rescuing people. Now, please, follow me."

Diana carried Kal quickly behind Jor-El, and in seconds they had traversed several hallways and were coming to a large open space with an immensely soothing atmosphere. As Diana moved, the entire space around her began to reshape and reconfigure. A large flat white spacious bed formed up directly in front of her and Diana instinctively took Kal toward it.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"I'm restructuring his bedroom, giving the ceiling and walls a prismatic transparency to create and sustain a healing environment," Jor-El answered quickly.

"What?"

"I'm going to manifest something similar to a greenhouse effect to constantly saturate his physical cells with the power of the sun. It's his only chance of making it through this. My readings show that his body has been destroyed beyond the point of healing on its own."

"Can … Can you save him?" Diana asked as she laid Kal down gently in the center of the new bed and stood over him.

"I'm not sure," Jor-El answered after a long moment, his attention drawn away as he conducted extensive studies of Kal's vital signs. "But perhaps you can," he then said urgently. "What are your healing abilities?"

"What?" Diana asked, staring up from Kal to Jor-El. "I … I don't have any of which i … that i'm aware of."

"Put both your hands on his chest, quickly," urged Jor-El.

"What is it? What are you seeing?" Diana asked as she instantly complied.

"Just a moment," Jor-El said, a second before a large square full of dozens of ongoing monitorings and calculations appeared in the air in front of them, all of them seeming to pertain to Kal's condition. "Now, move your hands to his face, hurry."

"Is this helping?" asked Diana as she tenderly rubbed Kal's cheeks.

There was a short pause before Jor-El answered her, his voice stern and direct.

"Disrobe him, then yourself and lay on top of him."

"What?" she asked in wide eyed surprise.

"There was a percentage drop when you let go of him, then a rise when you touched him again, and an even higher one with direct skin contact. The sun revived him but there's nothing more i can do. Right now, he needs every chance for survival he can get. It seems you're keeping him alive."

Diana stared at Jor-El for only another moment before she moved into action. Leaning down, Diana grabbed the collar of Kal's shredded uniform and ripped it down the middle all the way. With surprising care despite her immense strength, Diana slipped the rest of his clothing out from under him. She then slid off his boots and carefully removed his cape, making certain not to further injure his battered body. Next, again moving hurriedly, Diana slipped out of her corset, dress and boots, then quickly climbed on the bed over Kal.

"Diana, hurry, please," whispered Jor-El.

With only a moment of dignified reticence, Diana drew a breath as she lowered her bare body down to lay on top of Kal. Despite the chaos of their situation, Diana silently closed her eyes to solemnly listen for the sound of Kal's heart beat. It felt akin to a moment of serenity and solace in the midst of the storm of life.

"His vital signs are elevated by your touch. Just slightly, but definitively. Diana, can you stay … please?" she heard Jor-El's voice whisper through the air.

She opened her eyes, but his apparition was no longer visible. Still, she knew he was there, and his calm demeanor made him a comforting presence. His words had caused her to recall her own situation.

"I have no where to go. I have no one. I have no home."

"You do now," he whispered to her.


	5. Paradise: The Resurrection

Paradise: The Resurrection

Cold arctic winds floated along the frozen tundra, the only sounds over the landscape those of quietly whispering winds. All of the wildlife in the region had seemed to slow their usual patterns of existence. It was as if the world had fallen into a kind of solemn repose, awaiting the culmination of a specific event.

Inside the alien structure situated along its plains, all was still and silent. In its large spacious central bedroom, the two lone occupants lay warmth created by their shared essence permeated the atmosphere.

Until, at long last, Diana slowly began to stir. Laying on top of Kal, she gently started to rise up off his chest. Strangely, she could still hear his barely audible heartbeat echo in her ears.

"Kal? Can you hear me? Kal?" she whispered quietly.

"He is stable," Jor-El's voice answered a moment later. "His vital signs are low, but holding. He may not be alive if not for your presence. I cannot thank you enough, Diana," he said sincerely.

"Will he live?" she asked as she sat up and placed her hands on his face, sliding her fingers along his cheeks.

"I believe so. For now. He is stable enough for you to stretch and learn your way around The Fortress if you like. I can direct you to the amenities. But please, don't go too far?"

"I will remain close," Diana said, almost more to Kal-El than to Jor-El.

Slowly crawling off of Kal, Diana slid over to sit on the edge of his bed. Running her hands through her hair, she took a long moment to gather herself. She felt depleted to the point of near exhaustion, and she surmised that her encounter with the sun had truly left her feeling drained. She had probably passed out from exhaustion more so than having fallen asleep on top of Kal.

"How do you feel?" asked Jor-El, materializing into the room through the outer doorway.

"Dizzy. Disoriented," she answered. "I'm glad he made it through the night."

"Actually, it's been 3 days and 3 nights."

"What?" she asked in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Indeed. Biblical, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. What happened?"

"I'm not certain," he answered, stepping forward and calmly motioning to a rectangular screen forming in the air beside him.

It was a mechanical x ray analysis of she and Kal on the bed. There was a glistening sheen sparkling all around the two of them, with a constant series of diagnostic readings continuously running but displaying no conclusive results. The energy not only seemed to be passing over them, but flowing through them as well.

"As you can see, the two of you have been virtually enraptured in some sort of cocoon composed of the residual energy you both brought back from the sun. You were joined on levels which seem beyond measure even by my most advanced studies. I've never seen anything like this."

"Did the energy dissipate?"

Only just now when you awakened."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. I will continue to analyze the data."

Rising up from the edge of the bed, Diana reached down and picked up Kal's cape. She held it with care for a long moment, almost reverently, then she wrapped it around her body like one of the Roman togas she often wore when she was in her palace on Themyscira. Ever the ardent warrior, she recognized the cape as a badge of honor.

Making her way over to the doorway of the bedroom, Diana noticed that Jor-El was nowhere to be seen. However, when she walked outside, he was momentarily visible, stepping behind the next corner as a direction guide for her. She suspected that he was making himself scarce to allow her some measure of privacy as he continued to monitor Kal.

Slowly and quietly padding down the quiet and empty hallways, Diana found her spirit reaching out for the essence of the man that had just saved the entire world from certain doom. She had seen the damage in the center of the city of Metropolis. The Beast would certainly have reached and detonated the core of the planet, which would have leveled everything, including her beloved Themyscira. She felt a touch of anger at her mother, for her resistance to action would have led to the end of them all.

Leaving her thoughts of her former island behind, Diana felt as if she were in a whole new world. This new place, which had been offered to her as a home, was quite wondrous. There was some kind of spatial distortion inside it, as the interior was somehow much more spacious than the exterior could contain.

Inside, there was a feeling to the man himself, this Kal-El. She could feel him, here within the walls as she looked at the sparse rooms. Diana found that she desired to know him. From a warrior's perspective, he had proven himself the greatest of all. For an Amazon, that in and of itself was an attraction. Still, she was looking for something here that she hadn't yet found, indeed even she herself wasn't exactly sure what she was seeking.

Then, she found it. There it was. Almost all of the other rooms she had seen had been sparsely furnished, and, if she could be honest, desperately in need of a woman's touch. But this one was different.

There were objects scattered around it. It was sectioned into different areas, one a workstation, one for artistry, and another for resting observation. There was a large transparent window wall overlooking the pure white outside tundra landscape.

Standing at the doorway, she hesitated, then looked down the hallway for Jor-El. He stood still, waiting for her, but immediately took interest as if he had been expecting, or perhaps hoping, that she might take this detour.

"This is … his room?" asked Diana, turning to look back inside.

"This entire Fortress is his, but he spends the majority of his time in here, yes," answered Jor-El, now appearing in the room and drawing her to walk behind him. "As you can see, he stays busy."

At his words, various floating workstations, data panels and small tables materialized from the malleable crystalline plasma of the fortress. Diana felt a little like she were intruding, as if Jor-El were showing her private things about Kal which perhaps she wasn't meant to see. Still, she was far too interested to turn back now.

"He's chosen writing, journalism specifically, by profession," he said with a gentle smile which was full of pride. "I would have preferred he become a scientist like myself, but he made the better choice."

"Oh, really? How so?" asked Diana, stepping over to look down at a sophisticated laptop atop the main table as she watched the proud emotions on the face of this supposed … program.

"If confronted with the sciences, his inane natural intellect would have excelled in grand fashion," Jor-El said. "In that and virtually every other profession, he would have stood out so much that it would have been impossible not to notice him. The scientific industry of the entire planet would have been revolutionized and uplifted. He's chosen the better path, in that he can do more good for the world by blending in with them. In journalism, he can observe, help change the hearts of the people through the lasting written word, and also remain vigilant for dangers."

"You seem very proud of him," said Diana, searching for how Jor-El would respond.

"In his humbleness, he conceals his greatness. As his father, I'm able to see his true self," he answered ambiguously. "However, I'm also able to see his deficiencies."

"Such as?"

"It's not good that he should be alone. As a child, he was different. He veiled himself in human form. As The Last Son, he is truly the only remnant of his race."

"All of his people are dead?" asked Diana, turning away from studying the surroundings to stare at Jor-El.

"His home planet was called Krypton," explained Jor-El, pointing to a series of grey animations which appeared before Diana. They fluidly depicted a visual history to accompany his words. "The world was figuratively and eventually literally torn apart, leaving only a few Kryptonians left alive in the galaxy, almost all of them war criminals. Kal-El was the last son born there."

"The war criminals? He was fighting them when the city was destroyed," asked Diana as more of a statement than a question.

"He was," affirmed Jor-El. "All human life on the planet would have been extinguished if he hadn't defeated them, and yet he is blamed for the damage to the city he nearly died defending. He was battling against General Zod, perhaps the most dangerous man of our entire race, and it was virtually impossible to defend the city and defeat Zod simultaneously. He did what he had to do to stop Zod. Now, he's more alone than ever."

"Then he has saved the world twice," she said. "He needn't be alone again."

"Do you know what it's like to be alone?" Jor-El asked quietly.

"I, too, was very different," Diana said after a long moment of silence. "When I was younger, I knocked our most prolific warrior, my aunt and our greatest trainer, onto the ground and nearly killed her during a combat exercise. Even before that, I had always held back. I'd always known that I was different, but that day confirmed my suspicions. I knew that there was no one else like me. You can be surrounded by others, and yet still feel very alone."

"Tell me, what led you to aid Kal?"

"I … I had been having dreams," said Diana, quietly padding over to stare out at the pure white landscape tundra with womanly grace. "I'm sure it sounds strange. I had been dreaming of him. The battle was clear in my mind. He would die if i didn't reach him. And, I didn't make it in time."

"However, you were there to bring him back to life."

"I didn't do that. The Son did."

"Have you considered that perhaps things happened as they were meant to?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to face him with intense curiosity.

"You took your dreams literally. Perhaps they were meant to be taken figuratively. Maybe you weren't meant to stop his death, but save and share his life."

"Explain this," she said, knowing that a mere program could never show wisdom like this.

Just as Diana was certain that her supposition of his being more than a computer program was a truth, Jor-El delved back into commonality. Turning away from her, he looked to his side as a constantly flowing series of scans, schematics and calculations appeared floating in the air beside him. His voice was intense as he spoke.

"Your appearance was extremely improbable, indeed virtually impossible without intervention. The odds of events which would need to coincide for it to happen are nearly incalculable. The key is you in particular."

"Me? How so?"

"Your physiology," he stated. "You are, truly, the only woman that has ever come into his circle of life whose body is completely compatible with his own. With every other female I have ever scanned, and I've checked all of them without Kal-El's knowledge, there would be a degradation of bloodline if they were to even be able to conceive a child. However, your cellular structure, when combined with his own, will in fact enhance the child's physiology. You are the only complete match with Kryptonian biology. Literally, you're his one in a billion woman. These events could not be a coincidence. It's simply not possible. My son believes in a higher power. The Most High. Do you believe in Him?"

"I believe that there is One above all others, even those of Olympus."

"He has communicated through dreams before."

"You think … Kal and I have … were ordained to meet?" whispered Diana, now deep in thought.

"There is no other explanation," Jor-El answered.

Diana stood still in silence for a long quiet moment. Then, she turned to gaze back out over the world. Quietly, she gathered herself and walked past Jor-El.

"Excuse me," she whispered.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Diana," Jor-El said solemnly, removing his data from sight.

Diana stopped at the doorway and looked over to him. Her demeanor was calm, but there was a light in her eyes. She offered him a gentle smile.

"You didn't, Jor-El," she said in a meaningful whisper.

With those words, Diana walked out of Kal's workroom and resumed her trek through the hallways of the fortress. Following suit, Jor-El calmly appeared momentarily at certain corners, continuing to guide her on her way.

Padding barefoot around the fortress once again, Diana also placed her hand on the wall, gently sliding her fingers along its surface, subconsciously searching for the warmth of its owner which would not be found there. She was calm, but Jor-El's words reverberated through her body like a rolling wave, continuously shaking her to her core. Her thoughts were racing. He had given her a lot to think about.

Long ago, she had relinquished hopes of ever finding true expression in being joined with another person. With her strength and abilities, which were not simply a uniform she could take on and off but were her true self, she had known she was a danger to others. There was no match for her.

A entire world of new possibilities had just opened up like a light shining into an unrealized darkness.

This man, which had already brought hope to the world, had now given hope to her heart.

If he lived.

Reaching a large wash area, Diana gave a gentle smile. The accommodations were fit for a princess. As she entered, the room reconfigured into a bathing area as the central section expanded the length of the space and immediately began to fill with water. In seconds, the bath room had been converted into a large spa like area with a massive pool. Somehow, undoubtedly with the advanced technology at its disposal, the water had already been super heated to the point of steam rising off its surface. The room was still changing as she neared the edge of the water.

"Thank you, Jor-El," she whispered.

He didn't respond, giving her privacy as he continued to serve her needs. It almost felt akin to a princess having a living castle completely at her beck and call.

A small set of steps formed in front of her at the edge of the new pool, and Diana began to walk down into the water. She tenderly unwrapped Kal's cape as she settled into the pool. Then, she laid it along the surface of the water and gingerly began to clean it. As soon as the blood and debris slipped off of it, advanced cleansing agents immediately erased the unclean particles. Once Diana had started the process, it seemed to continue on its own. She let the cape float near the steps, and a kind of sparkle glided over it, cleansing and repairing it simultaneously.

Turning into the water, Diana did several laps around the pool, feeling her energy, her spirit, her soul. Stretching and exercising her muscles felt tremendous after their exertion in space. Her strength was returning. Diana was beginning to feel reinvigorated, stronger and even more vibrant than ever before.

Suddenly, Diana broke the surface of the water with a slight gasp. An idea came to her which she absolutely couldn't believe hadn't occurred to her sooner. She had to leave. She had to go to Themyscira. Now.

"Jor-El," Diana said firmly, hurriedly stepping up out of the pool and once again wrapping Kal's cape, now fully repaired, around herself. "I have to leave."

"Diana, please don't go," he said, appearing beside her instantly. "We need you here. My son's life depends on you."

"I have to get something for him," she said quickly, soaring into the bedroom and donning her garments at super speed, pausing only a moment to lay Kal's cape over his prone body. "It can help. "I shall return soon."

"Diana, please …," Jor-El pleaded, reappearing directly in her path.

Diana paused, taking a deep breath. Her questions about him had finally been answered. He was far more than just a computer generated program.

He was a father.

"Trust me," Diana said from her heart.

With those words, Diana stared up at him for a long moment. Then, moving slowly, she reached up, took her tiara in her hands, and laid it at his feet. When she looked back up, he was gone, and she heard the door of the fortress opening.

Diana took to the air, soaring faster as she passed through each hallway. Bursting out into the arctic air, she arched upward and took to the open sky. Clouds parted in her wake.

Her future now depended upon her past ...


	6. Paradise: The Healing

The Fortress

Dawn

On the third day, he rose.

Superman opened his eyes, awakening to life anew.

He sat up slowly, feeling excruciating pain all over his body. He knew that his spirit was back, but his physical body was still near death. Yet, he had to stand.

"Kal-El, you need to rest," Jor-El said quietly.

"No time," Kal said with strain as he slid off the bed and stood to his feet. "The world could still be in danger."

"All is well. I've been monitoring," protested Jor-El. "You have no need to worry."

"General Zod sent that monster as a fail safe extinction plan. There could be others. I have to try to be ready. My garments, please."

With a reluctant sigh, Jor-El complied. A small sparkle of light flowed over his torn uniform, repairing and reforming it almost instantly.

Reaching down, The Man of Steel redressed, taking a majestic moment to once again don his family crest symbol of hope upon his chest.

Then, he dropped to one knee.

"Kal-El, please," said Jor-El, materializing by his side, hoping that his physical apparition may draw him to listen.

"I have to get to the observation room … monitor the planet … search for signs," he breathed groggily.

"One moment," said Jor-El.

In the next second, a revolving series of several panels appeared in the air, depicting a planetary mosaic from several angles. There were scans continually running, monitoring virtually every continent on the globe. As the areas were searched for red zones of danger, they were immediately cleared safe from Kryptonian activity.

"As you can see, all is well, Kal-El. Now, please, lay back down. Your body could still expire at virtually any moment."

Kal stared at the screens for a long moment as he forced himself to stand, then he relented.

"Okay," he said. "Keep monitoring. "And … And Diana. She has left?"

"I'm afraid so," Jor-El said with a sadness in his voice. "She said she would return. She hasn't yet."

Kal lowered his head. A profound loneliness gripped his heart. He was alone again. All alone. Somehow, having been shown the possibility of having someone by his side, a woman like her, made the ache more abysmal.

"If … If you ever … see her again," Kal whispered as his eyes fluttered while he slumped back onto the bed beneath him. "Tell her … thank you."

With those words, he dropped down, unconscious.

Themyscira

Morning

Her trip had been blessedly uneventful.

The air had been crisp, the clouds low with fog, and there had been no one in sight as she had touched down on the outlying reaches of the island of Themyscira. She had remembered the location of the special lake exactly, and had made her way directly to it. It looked like a normal lake, but this one was special.

Its waters were known to have mystic properties of restoration. Although it had seemed that her race hadn't used the waters of the lake for some time as they had been in a relative peace, Diana remembered their power. She had never used the healing waters of the lake on herself, as it required a deep connection between two people, and she had never been with anyone.

The small box containing the vials for extraction sat in its usual place, always positioned off the far right corner of the edge of the shore. Moving quickly, Diana opened the box, snatched one of the largest vials, and dipped it under the surface of the water to fill it. Then, she took back to the air, disappearing once more into the fog over the island before soaring into the clouds.

She hadn't yet been ready to confront any of her sisters. The split between she and her mother was still too raw and painful. She needed time.

The Fortress

Noon

Returning to The Fortress, Diana could see the main door opening while she was still a good distance away. She landed in the doorway and quickly began to stomp through the entrance in her high heels. Jor-El's physical apparition was by her side instantly.

"Thank you for returning, Diana," he said quickly. "I hope you think of this as your home now. We need you here."

"I thank you for opening it to me. I'm sorry I had to scare you like that. You wouldn't have believed my journey, but I had to bring this back."

"I'm reading it as simple mineral water," he said. "Standard. No unusual properties."

"I thought that you may see it as regular water and not be able to register its magic. But, this can help him. I have to try it. If this works, I hope it will bring him out of danger. How is he?"

"His condition has deteriorated since you left," Jor-El answered with an urgency in his voice. "A miniscule amount, less than six percent, but every ounce of life is critical at this point."

"Why is he dressed?" Diana asked in a stern voice, reaching the doorway of his bedroom and staring down at the edge of the bed.

"He awoke for a few moments a short time ago. He prepared to defend the world again if necessary. And, he also asked about you."

"What did he say?" she asked, turning to face Jor-El.

"He told me to tell you … thank you," Jor-El whispered solemnly.

A long intense moment passed as Diana stared at him. Then, she slowly turned to gaze at Kal. In Jor-El's voice, he had conveyed the sense of how alone Kal felt in life. Kal had shown himself to be a man valiant and protective to the end, and he was again facing his mortality without anyone by his side.

Diana regretted leaving the fortress. However, they needed the elixir. No, he wasn't going to die. She wouldn't allow it. She hadn't made it to his side in death, but his life would not slip away from her now. No, not so long as she was Princess Diana of Themyscira and The Wonder Woman of the World. She resolved that she would do whatever was required of her to bring him back to health. Boldly stomping over to the foot of the bed, Diana reached down to Kal.

"Kal?" she whispered softly, slipping her fingers through the side of his hair. "Kal, I need you to awaken. Now."

Drawn back to consciousness by the sound of her silken voice and soft touch, Kal slowly opened his eyes to gaze up at her. He felt weary, groggy and more than a little disoriented. The pain in his head and body seemed to be relentless.

"You … You came back."

"Kal, I need you to undress."

His eyes crossed. Perhaps he had not survived his battle with Doomsday after all. Maybe he had died in his sleep. Surely, the most beautiful, wonderful and compelling woman he had ever laid eyes on was not leaning over his private bed, in his lonely fortress of solitude, whispering to him, caressing his face and ordering him to undress for her.

Yeah. Right. Sure.

As if he could ever … ever … ever be that lucky in this life.

At best he was simply dreaming and fantasizing about her. Well, he felt bad for imagining that she had said those words to him, but he wasn't certain that there was any male, human or alien, which could resist thinking thoughts like these.

Obviously, he needed more rest. Kal comically began to let his eyes drift closed once again. Since he was dreaming anyway, he was just going to go back to sleep.

"I'll help you, Kal," Diana whispered to him, gently reaching under his armpits and slowly lifting him up.

"What … are we … doing?" he managed to whisper in a daze of delirium.

"Healing bath," Diana answered sweetly. "Just trust me."

"Sometimes … I still think … you're an … angelic … dream," he muttered.

"I'm here, Kal. I'm very real. I won't leave you again. I think … perhaps … I was meant to help you," she told him, remembering her conversation of revelation with Jor-El.

Quickly finding the edges of his upper garment, Diana grasped the bottom of it and lifted. His torso covering was removed to reveal his bare chest, and the reaction of Diana's body took her completely by surprise.

She hurriedly stopped the sudden gasp which almost slipped from her lips. As she let the protective garment fall to the side of the bed, her eyes remained focused on Kal as she stared down at him. While Kal grimaced in pain from just these small movements of his tortured extremities, he didn't notice Diana's expression. Transfixed as she stared down at him, she couldn't turn her eyes away from his physique. His chest, pure pectoral perfection. His abdomen, super six pack. HIs arms, mountains of man muscle.

An unexpected flush rushed through Diana's body. Her heart began to patter against her breasts, her blood raced through her veins, and a strange tingle ghosted over the surface of her skin. She had never in her life felt like this before. For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly seemed to have trouble catching her breath. Taking a moment to try to regain her composure, Diana ran a hand through her long hair.

The man was like something out of her historical Greek mythology books or fabled fairy tales. He seemed almost to be a sculpture of art or a living classical painting. When she'd believed that she had been formed from clay in her younger days, before her mother chose to reveal that the king of Mount Olympus Zeus was her biological father, Diana had understood when some had chosen to admire her physique as a work of artistic rendering. But this man, he was, indeed, something else. Feeling a touch of her youthful arrogance, she found it surprising that instead of being admired, she was the one doing the admiring.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked, finally noticing the pain on Kal's face as he lowered his arms.

"Yeah," Kal whispered with difficult effort. "I … I'll make it."

"Let's finish you off," she said.

Then, she unceremoniously dropped to her knees between his legs in front of him.

Even in his delirium, Kal's eyes widened. Suddenly, the power of speech was foreign to him. He stared on in stunned silence.

Failing to notice the slight tremble in her hands as Diana slipped her fingers into the sides of his trousers, Kal's innate shyness overtook him as he recoiled and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"Uhhh … I think … maybe I'll be fine," he lied.

Kal's fearful reserve set Diana off. Neither of the two of them had ever had any intimate experience with the opposite sex. Comically, they were completely unfamiliar with the common colloquialism of a woman being 'all hot and bothered.' However, this was precisely the situation they had unwittingly wound up in together.

"Obviously, you men can be very confusing creatures," explained Diana, heatedly standing to her feet and now towering over him in her spike high heel boots. "You're brave enough to stand alone to defeat a beast with world extinction power, but you dare to presume to find fear to bare yourself to the person trying to heal your broken body because she is a woman? Where is the sense in that?" she said sternly.

In frustration, she placed her hands on her hips, almost in what would one day become his own classic Superman pose. Kal stared up at Diana, absolutely awestruck, stupefied and dumbfounded by her overpowering beauty. He was virtually speechless.

"Well, it's ... it's not that. I … it's just … uhhh," he barely managed to whisper in an unintelligible stammer.

"Well, I'm sure you would find more manly courage if i undressed first? Is that right? Okay. Fine," she said.

With no hesitation at all, Diana reached behind her, unclasped her corset, and snatched it off. She tossed it aside to let it land on the far side of the bed. Diana didn't even take notice of Kal's reaction at all.

He … was … mesmerized. Before his eyes, stood two glorious examples of pure pristine perfection. Even in his dreams, he had never imagined a physique more feminine, bountiful and tenderly alluring. His innate shyness told him to turn his head away, but the suddenness of her actions had left him stunned and captivated. His mouth had already inadvertently fallen open, and he tried to form words to speak, but his mind had shut down on him.

"Uhhh …," was all he was able to manage.

Continuing without even having noticed Kal's stunned reaction, Diana then bent over and pulled her dress and underwear down and off her slim smooth shapely legs. She threw them on top of her corset before whipping off one boot and then the other. Humble in spirit, Diana had never been one to truly make much of her own immaculate beauty, and she had no concept of the way her display had affected Kal. Standing back up tall, she again placed her hands on her hips and stared down at him with warm heat in her eyes.

"Better? Okay. That's done," she said with a touch of sarcasm. "Now we can finish."

With that, she once again slid down to her knees between his thighs and this time quickly grasped the top edge of his lower garments. Comically, Diana thought that her reasoning had allowed her to win the momentary faux argument and dispute between them. However, the truth was that her overwhelming beauty had simply stunned her paramour into absolute speechlessness. Kal would have reacted again as she had reached out to undress him, but his inability to focus on anything else except her gorgeous physique had left him slow and dazed.

"Lift up," Diana whispered tenderly, already starting to pull.

Only the strong yet sweet tenor of her voice tone drew him into movement. All his hazy mind could process was that this goddess wanted something, and from her posture he was finally able to deduce that she intended for him to raise his hips. As he did, Diana slipped his leggings down over his knees to his calves.

What she saw gave her instant pause. Diana's eyes widened in shock for a moment before narrowing in admiration. She had of course studied male anatomy during her younger years of combat training, largely for the purpose of learning attack placement. However, she had never … ever … expected something like this. His size was … impressive. Absolutely … astoundingly … amazingly … impressive. He was such … a … man. She hadn't ever conceived that this much man could exist on one male. Unexpectedly, she found that being close to him like this made her body ache in ways she couldn't yet describe or process.

Still astounded by his immense manhood, her dazzled eyes flashed up at Kal in amazement, her mind trying to make certain that he was indeed a human male. They gazed at one another for a quick moment before she turned away to look down at the inside of his combat garments in her hands. The only way she had been to tear her eyes away from the mountain in front of her face was for her mind to tell her to check his pants to see if he had a hidden compartment that he had been hiding all of that in.

For his part, Kal felt much better after the short glance they shared. In his battle, he had been beaten so badly that he had wondered if some parts of him would ever function again. Well, at least it seemed that he didn't need to be embarrassed in front of the princess.

"Let's get you up," Diana whispered without stopping to think of the possible double entendre of her phrase.

Reaching down to lift up his left leg by the calf, Diana swiftly removed Kal's combat boot and laid it beside them. As she took off his second boot, Kal couldn't hold back a slight grunt of painful exertion in the struggle to lift his knees to assist her. With both of them now completely laid bare to one another, Diana stood up and slipped her left arm around his waist while gently pulling his right arm around her shoulders to help him balance. Kal paused and looked into her eyes as she drew him up to stand.

"Thanks," he whispered with a tender reserve. "Thank you."

Comically, he suddenly wasn't sure if he were thanking her for her physical presence, or the view of her physical presence.

Diana was struck by the warmth in his tone. He was conveying more to her than his words had spoken. Much like herself, this man had spent the inner parts of his life completely alone, and this was the first time that someone had truly been there for him. Her eyes strengthened as her voice spoke firmly.

"We're going to get through this, Kal, and you won't fight this battle alone this time."

After a long pause, with the two of them never breaking their gaze, he nodded.

"Come on," Diana urged gently. "Walk with me. One step at a time."

Walking slowly together, Kal and Diana started to make their way down the hallway toward the wash area. Kal very much wanted to walk under his own power, but in truth he could barely stand, and only Diana's strength held him up. With every breath, he tried harder to walk on his own, but his condition left him no choice but to lean on her for support. He may have come back through the doorway of death, but he was still very close to the edge.

After a few moments, Diana found herself placing her right hand on the center of Kal's chest. To her, this man was truly immaculate. Although he had a soul of peace, he also truly had the heart of a warrior. Though she had been momentarily angered by his shy reserve, Diana now couldn't help but admire his humble nature. Even as broken as his body was, his spirit still remained strong and steadfast. Barely clinging to life as he was now, he was still fighting with each step. Although she could often be something of a taskmaster in her work ethic, Diana knew that she needed to ease and comfort him right now. Recovery and recuperation were paramount. She was tempted to lift him from his feet and fly him to the water, but well, after almost stripping him of his pride and literally stripping his body, she decided to give him some grace.

Finally reaching the wash area, Diana guided him to the edge of the water. Gauging Kal's condition, she observed that he wasn't looking well at all. From just this simple exertion, his skin had become pale and almost devoid of color, he was struggling to breathe, and his eyes seemed dazed and glassy as if he was on the verge of collapse. Diana wondered to herself if this medicinal bath was actually a good idea after all.

"Stay with me, Kal," she said comfortingly. "I need you to walk down into the water. Can you make it?"

"I will," he told her, although he was almost incoherent.

"Come on."

Holding each other close, Kal and Diana stepped down together into the slowly flowing pool. At the moment that their feet touched it, the altered water began to glow gently with a slight illumination. With the entire space surrounded by a crystalline structure, it seemed to create a kind of prism effect, and the room suddenly had a softly sparkling atmosphere. Watching the light, Diana paused and visibly recoiled.

Diana couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had heard stories about this effect, but she hadn't thought it could ever happen for her. This was the renowned and fabled effect which Diana had heard of long ago. She had never truly believed in it until now. The inherent properties of this mystical healing lotion were said to glow and illuminate like this if … the two using it were … in true love.

How could this be? Love at first sight? She didn't believe in such a thing, although she may be living in the midst of it. Could it truly be … as Jor-El had stated … that perhaps they were meant to come together?

The magical properties of the lotion were said to interact with the chemistry between the two, and would produce this sparkling. Diana had seen the healing elixir used before, but she had never seen it glow, illuminate or sparkle like this. This effect had always been like a fabled story. Now, it seemed as if it were actually true. It was almost like something out of a fairy tale. She was only drawn out of her stunned reverie by the bass of Kal's manly voice.

"Whatever this is … it's beautiful," he whispered.

"Yes, it … it really is. Easy, now," she told him as she led him to step down into the water. "Walk with me."

"Thank you," he consented weakly.

Kal and Diana fully stepped down into the water together, side by side. On his right side, she held his large muscled forearm and bicep as they walked. Kal hesitated as the water reached his neck, but Diana shared a gentle smile with him, and together they immersed...


	7. Paradise: The Water

The Fortress

Afternoon

The healing lotion had magically spread and permeated every atom of the water, and the gentle waves now had a smooth, constantly flowing motion to them. The substance of the water was slightly more thick and full, akin to a soothing sensation of floating in a tub of rubbing gel. It had already held a warm temperature, as Kal had designed it to do so, but there was an even more comforting heat now rising from within its depths.

Somehow, the augmented water was no longer just flowing around Kal, but was now seeming to move through his body. He could feel the gentle liquid flowing over his heart, his lungs and his stomach. The unusual sensation wasn't at all unpleasant, but it was extremely unseemly, particularly since this was his first time experiencing anything like this. He was mesmerized and very much taken aback by the strange sensations flowing through him. Instinctively, he hurriedly began to force his body up toward the surface of the water.

As he moved, Diana studied his physique closely. The elixir wasn't working. She could simply tell. The open wounds all over his body weren't closing.

She had hoped that perhaps the healing lotion may begin to work on its own without the additional component she had heard of, but she could immediately tell that this would not happen in this instance. Diana realized she would have to exercise its proper use. Following him to the surface of the water, she quickly swam close to him and placed her hands on the sides of his face to comfort him.

"It's all right, Kal," she said quickly. "I know this can be somewhat disconcerting. Everything's okay."

"Is it … It's supposed to feel like this?" he asked uncertainly.

"There's more," Diana told him. "Much more. I need to rub the lotion into your skin and all over your body. Will … Will you trust me, Kal?" she asked, herself even a little uncertain as she completely understood the depth of what she was truly asking.

"I trust you," he whispered meaningfully.

Diana took a breath as her heart fluttered for a moment. The Amazon side of her which had been taught all her life to be weary of the race of men was hesitant of being so intimate with him like this. However, the side of her which was the woman before the warrior had little difficulty embracing this bath. Oh yes, it was truly a tremendous sacrifice for her to have to touch all over a man with the sculpted body of a grecian god. Poor little Diana. How ever would she manage to get through this?

She mused inwardly, and hoped that Kal wouldn't notice her slight chagrin. He was already nervous enough without truly understanding what was about to happen to him and she didn't need him thinking that she felt adverse or comical about his situation.

Diana wondered how many, if any, of her Amazon sisters had ever had the opportunity to have the body of a man completely at her mercy before her first sexual experience. Perhaps if they had been given this kind of trust and freedom, then maybe they may not feel as belligerent toward the race of men. Perhaps only she had been blessed with a chance at this redemption. As a leader of her people, it may have been necessary for her to take this first step before she could lead others to bridge the gulf between the races.

"Okay, Kal," she whispered to comfort and ease both of them. "Just relax."

With the tender caring of a lover, Diana reached into the water, let it pool in her hands, and then rubbed her fingers over Kal's forehead and down over his cheeks. Kal held her gaze, and the two of them continued staring deeply into one another's eyes, until the feeling of Diana's lotion soft hands continually sliding over his cheeks overtook him. For the first time in his life, he could actually feel every ounce of touch, and that would have been intoxicating enough without the increasing physical effect of the lotion. He thought this was all there was to the healing.

"It … It's not working," Diana said as her brow furrowed. "There should be much more than this. I don't understand why the elixir is not activating."

"Have you … ever seen it used?" asked Kal, still slightly struggling with minor exertions.

"No," she answered. "I've only ever seen the aftermath. Sister warriors would go to the water with grave injuries and return almost completely healed."

"There … There were always … two or more?" he asked.

"Always only two," she told him. "Why? What are you thinking?"

"Where did it come from?"

"It was created by Eros, one of my half brothers."

"Eros? As in … love?"

"Yes," she answered. "He is in touch with it, similar to an elemental force of nature which he can draw forth."

"The warriors that used it … were they both conscious and coherent?"

"Yes. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Eros," Kal told Diana. "Love. True love is two sided. It has to be both ways."

"What do you mean?" asked Diana.

"Let me .. try something," Kal breathed heavily. "Will you trust me, Princess? May I have your permission to touch you?"

Diana nodded quickly, her brow furrowed. She was deeply intrigued by what he may have figured out. She floated closer to him to emphasize her permission and enthusiasm.

Moving slowly, Kal lifted his right hand, placed it on the side of her neck, and then slid his palm down over her shoulder until it again landed in the water.

Nothing happened.

Then, Kal repeated the same motion. This time, he kept a little of the water in his palm as he laid his hand on her neck and began to again slide it over her skin. Suddenly, the same illumination which had risen up out of the water when they had first stepped down into it again filled the room, this time with a much greater intensity.

Simultaneously, both Kal and Diana gasped together. Suddenly, without preamble, with neither of them having the slightest moment to raise their normal protective defenses, they were instantly bonded on what seemed to be the deepest mental level imaginable. The connection was completely unlike anything that either of them had ever experienced before in their lives. It was true intimacy in a spiritual realm. The moment was so powerful and intense that it caused the two of them to lean forward and lay their foreheads on one another for some sense of grounding and respite in the physical.

Their minds were now open books to one another. Sensations, images and memories began to flow smoothly through them, quickly increasing with intensity. In moments, both Kal and Diana were being swept away.

An intense pressure, similar to the sensation of water, seemed to completely fill their bodies from the inside. Then, simultaneously, it burst out of them, flowing from one directly into the other. Both of them threw their heads back as their eyes rolled up into the backs of their heads in ecstasy, completely overtaken.

Then, the true mystical effects of the gel began to take effect, and the healing began …

… Suddenly, Diana felt water rushing up on both her sides, and she quickly realized that she was flying over the surface of the ocean, the wind whipping her hair around sight was startling, with the crystal waters sparkling as they splashed beneath her, the bright sun beaming clear brilliant light down on her, and the rushing air flowing around her body. Emotions stirred through her heart, and although they didn't feel entirely her own, she was able to experience them just the same.

Joy. Success. Flight.

Then, she looked to her side, and Kal was there. He had his arms extended forward, enjoying the first time he had been able to fly. And she was here, living this moment with him. She could even feel his emotions at the same time as he.

Just as she was looking down to note that her physical body was ethereal even though she could feel, Kal looked over at her. Their eyes met, and she saw that he was just as surprised as she. They stared at one another, wondering how this was possible.

"Kal, is that you?" asked Diana.

"Yes, but, how is this possible?"

"This must be the effect of the lotion, I think," she told him.

They soared together side by side for another moment …

… then, suddenly, Kal felt himself splashing in the water. He was now immersed in it instead of flying over it, and he could feel the muscles in his arms swinging through it. There were no wounds on his body, and he wasn't feeling the constant pain he had been in for the last three days. For a moment, he was still feeling the joy he had felt when had taken his first flight, but then it was quickly replaced by a sensation of trepidation with which he could somehow empathize. He realized that he was feeling Diana's emotions, and, that they were almost identical to ones he had felt himself earlier in his life.

Kal looked behind him, and there were dozens of Amazons swimming a good distance back. Shooting through the water beside him, Diana stared at him with profound sadness in her eyes. Not only did he know how she felt, but he was somehow feeling it as well.

Despite what she had been led to believe, Diana wasn't normal. There was no one else like her. It was one of the moments in her life when Diana had realized that she was very different from anyone else and had felt truly all alone.

No one could keep up with her. All of her Amazon sisters were far behind them. Even their best swimmers, known for their speed in the water, were dozens of yards away from them.

Kal stared over at Diana beside him, watching the forlorn gaze on her face as she looked back at her sisters.

"We're not like them, are we?" Kal told her, trying to distract her from her sadness.

"We're not like anyone," said Diana.

"You've felt lonely, too?" asked Kal.

"Of course, I have," she answered.

"Are we in the past? Is this a memory? How are we seeing these things?"

"This is one of my most poignant memories. The lotion could be touching our neurons, drawing healing energy from significant moments and events. Was that flying one of your memories?"

"My first time," he answered. "I don't see my injuries now. Can you touch my arm?"

"Hold still," said Diana, extending her hand toward his ethereal form.

She touched his arm …

… And they were back in the physical, with her right hand rubbing his left arm. Kal immediately felt searing pain, and he lowered his arm into the water. Although his numerous wounds and injuries didn't appear when they were in their memories, they were still very evident in the physical realm. Instead of flying over the water or swimming through it, they were standing pressed together in the middle of the pool in the fortress. The warmth of the water was dwarfed by the heat of their bare skin intimately touching one another.

Realizing that they were back in the physical, Kal and Diana looked around them before turning to gaze into one another's eyes. They felt drawn to each other on supernatural levels which they were yet incapable of fully understanding. Their eyes dropped to their lips, but they were able to regain themselves before they inadvertently went any further.

"I … I think it's working," observed Diana, softly gliding her fingers over the still severely torn and scarred tissue of his chest. "Some of the edges of the wounds are sealing. How do you feel?"

"Better. A little," he said. "I guess … mutual touch … is the key?"

"Touch me, Kal, while I touch you," Diana told him. "Don't be reticent. Amazons feel no shame over our bodies. I chose this, and you will not offend me in the least. I know my half brother, and I should have figured out how the lotion worked much sooner."

Staring down at her calm expression, Kal had to keep himself from letting out a gulping swallow in his shyness. In stark contrast to his obvious reserve, Diana seemed sure, certain and without reservation. The Princess took notice of his hesitancy, and she immediately went into action.

Scooping up a copious amount of the lotion permeated water, she rubbed her hands together to soak it into her skin. Then, she placed her hands on his firm broad chest, her breasts slightly heaving as she felt his muscles under her fingertips. She moved her hands up over his neck and his cheeks, rubbing his skin as she went, before she slid back down to his abdomen. Kal had to try not to let his head fall back in pleasure at her touch, and he couldn't tell if it was from the elixir or just the fact that he could fully feel her touching him.

"Remember, Kal, you have to touch me back for this to work," she encouraged him. "This … exchange of energy between us seems to activate the reaction. We need its full effect, and we have to keep going so that it won't stop."

"O …. Okay," he stammered. "If you're sure."

Reaching down, Diana grabbed Kal's hands, admiring the manly firmness of them, and gently placed them on her breasts. This time, Kal was unable to stop the slight gulp of shyness which slipped through his throat, but he didn't pull away from her. He tried to continue to stare into her eyes as he touched her, trying not to openly admire her amazing physique.

Diana's ample breasts felt astonishingly wonderful in his hands. His right hand enjoyed the soft femininity of the underside of her left breast, while his left rubbed her thick hard right nipple sensuously between his fingers. He couldn't believe how incredible she felt. Staring into each other's eyes with slight smiles, a somewhat playful contest of wills arose, seeing which of them would be the first to break eye contact.

Diana lost, but more because of Kal's innate shyness than sensuality overload. Being touched by a man for the first time was simply too much for the woman inside the warrior. At the instant that Diana's eyes rolled and her head fell back with a sexy exhale, Kal's eyes lowered to ogle the forms in his hands.

She … was … glorious. Sure, he had seen women before, but none of them were Diana of Themyscira. For a long embarrassing moment which he was glad she didn't notice, he was completely unable to tear his eyes away from her.

When their eyes caught again, both of them were ironically a little more shy, Diana because she had given in to a man for the first time, and Kal because he had been spied ogling her like some lovesick schoolboy.

Then, the lotion began to take a firm hold of the two of them again, even stronger and more intense with this round. As the pressure started to surge up through them, Kal and Diana drew closer together this time. Instead of throwing their heads back at the effect, they leaned forward and let their foreheads settle gently against one another, drawing stability and comfort from the other.

Now more in tune with the elixir, she could sense that enough of it had permeated their skin and bodies. Without reaching into the water this time, Diana simply raised her hands up to his torso as his were still on hers. No longer restraining her latent desires, realizing how useful they could be in this situation, she allowed herself to feel. Placing her hands on his muscular pecs, she started to rub, knead and massage his strong flesh at her leisure, feeling the accompanying sensual reaction deep within the depths of her own body.

Then, the pressure between them again found its mutual release ...

… And suddenly, Diana was underwater again. This time, she was in the process of rising up out of it, and there was something large above her head. As she rose up over the surface, she realized that a school bus was hovering before her. As she shook her wet hair out of her eyes, she looked over beside her.

Kal had pulled the bus up out of the water.

He appeared to be young and youthful, his body small instead of the tall muscled form of which she knew him. She looked down at her own hands, and she surmised that she probably appeared to be around his same age. As Kal turned to his side and noticed her, she saw the uncertainty and sadness in his eyes.

"Don't be sad, Kal," Diana's young voice said to him sweetly. "You saved them."

'You don't understand," he told her. "I get in trouble for this. They know about me now."

"I'll show you getting in trouble," said Diana.

She reached out to put her hand on his shoulder …

… and suddenly, he was in the air. However, for some reason, he wasn't flying. He was falling.

Then, his hand caught on something, and he held on tight. Kal looked up.

Diana, a young little Diana, was staring down at him. He was holding on to her ankle. His hand was small, and he figured they were again appearing around the same age as each other. They were dangling over a balcony, and a woman was holding Diana by her wrist to keep her from falling.

"Now this is trouble," smiled Diana.

"I guess so," replied Kal.

"I think we have to go deeper," Diana told him. "As far back as we can."

"Deeper?" he asked.

"I think I know how," she said. "Hang on."

With that, she let go. Kal and Diana fell through the air together. Letting go of her ankle, he reached up for her as she reached down for him. They clasped both hands, flattening out as they dropped through the sky, still looking into each other's eyes …

… And were back in the physical a moment later, still gazing into one another's eyes.

Kal hadn't been able to tear his hands away from her perfect breasts, but Diana had reached under the surface of the water to massage his abdomen. His six pack abs felt more sexy than she could have imagined, and she let herself run her fingers over every ridge of the muscles, feeling some of the lighter scarring literally disappearing under her touch.

Kal had remained absolutely fixated on her chest, but Diana knew that they had to complete their entire bodies to receive the full treatment of the lotion. Intending to remind him of this fact in bold fashion, she purposefully slid her hands down over his hips and around to his buttocks. Diana had to fight hard to keep her face steady as she rubbed over him.

"The entire body, remember?" Diana said firmly. "We have to draw out its full effect."

"Oh, right. Sorry," said Kal, having to use a monumental effort to remove his hands from Diana's breasts. "I … I was … kind of caught there. I didn't mean …"

"There's no reason to be ashamed of the pleasure, Kal," she told him. "In this particular situation, you're not offending me. This is simply how the elixir was designed. I know this now."

"Did you know … that it was like this?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, I had no idea," she laughed, sharing the humor with him and drawing an accompanying smile out of him. "I don't regret a moment of this, though."

Mirroring her movements as he let his hands feel down over the sexy swell of her wide womanly hips, Kal slowly slid his hands around to cup her firm derrière. He was immediately a little … overexcited … by the feel of her femininity, and had a firmly masculine reaction. Inadvertently, Kal slightly lifted Diana up by her ass, mistakenly drawing her closer against him.

"Neither do I," he whispered huskily.

A flare of womanly heat coursed through Diana at Kal's sudden display. She tried to hide the catch in her throat and her slight gasp. The warrior told the woman inside her that she should try to remain detached and clinical, but this was a battle unlike any she had ever fought in her life before, and it was more suited for the woman instead of the warrior.

"Of course you don't," The Princess grinned smugly, regaining the upper hand. "Now keep going."

However, Kal didn't heed her words. He became almost just as fixated on her butt as he had been on her breasts. His mouth fell open in slight shock as he rubbed all over what had to be the most perfect roundness in all existence. For a moment, he tried to move his hands away, to keep going as she had ordered, but he just couldn't stop gripping her ass.

For her part, Diana was having a hard time holding in her grin. He was like a man possessed, and as much as she tried not to admit it, he was stirring burning hot flames of desire deep within her belly … or maybe a little lower. She needed to try to distract herself from the waves of pleasure his ministrations were evoking.

Lowering her hands to take a hold of his upper thigh to lift his leg, she began to knead his thick powerful frame, admiring his masculine structure. Diana rubbed down over his knee, calves and feet before moving back up toward the juncture of his thigh. Then, she felt Kal tense in his body and through their mental bond.

No, they had come too far for her to let him turn them back now. The healing of the elixir was working, and no matter how sexual it was created to be, Diana wasn't going to accept any fear or hesitation from either of them any more.

"Maybe, that's enough," he breathed heavily, caught in the unique and impossible situation of being very embarrassed if the part of his anatomy she was heading toward reacted to her, and even more extremely embarrassed if it didn't.

"Look at your forearms," she ordered calmly.

Still rubbing her derrière, Kal did as she told him. The terrible cuts and tears in his skin had closed, and while the indentations were still visible, they were now more akin to harsh scabs.

"This is amazing," he affirmed quietly.

"Yes, I've never seen anything like this," she whispered to him, drawing him in to listen closely to what she was about to tell him. "I've been watching the healing of your wounds very closely, and I've figured out something."

"What's that?"

"Look at your hands."

Forcing himself to release her left cheek, Kal pulled his right hand out of the water and looked at it. It was in bad shape. The skin of his knuckles had been totally torn off from the power of his punches against Doomsday, leaving them completely red and exposed.

"Not a pretty sight," he murmured.

"Now, watch closely," Diana whispered, taking control of his hand in her own. "Stay with me. The more intimate we touch, the greater the healing."

With those words, Diana took Kal's hand, and slowly slid his fingers along the tip of her intimacy. Carefully sliding her other hand up over his torso to graze the side of his face, she stared up into his eyes, boldly maintaining eye contact to keep his shyness from making him pull away. He took a deep breath, but didn't move, allowing her to guide his movements.

Although she seemed to be firmly in control, Diana was not. She had been, up until the moment that she had slid Kal's strong manly fingertips along the center of her sensitivity. He just felt too good touching her like this. She was wholistically unable to stop the constant shivers which had started to run through her. She tried to maintain eye contact with him, but he broke her.

By Hera, this was too much. If the man was pleasuring her, then just let him see. Diana let her head fall back with a sexy moan and squeezed her eyes shut.

It elicited the exact effect she didn't want to happen. Kal immediately drew his hand away, laying his fingers along her navel.

"You okay?" he asked, leaning down toward her slightly.

"Yes, Kal, I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just the sensations. Now, look at your hand."

Kal held up his hand, and his eyes widened. The wounds on his knuckles were completely sealed. Even the scar tissue had been covered over by healthy epidermis.

"It looks like you're getting the hang of this," he told her.

"Let's try together now," said Diana.

With a mutual nod, the two of them moved in sync. Kal slid his hand down past her bellybutton to completely cup her center, instantly feeling along every centimeter to memorize precisely how she liked to be touched. Diana rubbed along his waist before taking his manhood in her hands, unable to keep herself from marveling at his incredibly extreme endowment. Their bodies began to instantly react to the other, he stiffening to steel and she moistening with wetness.

Then, the unexpected happened. They had barely begun to share their deep intimacy, and their bodies released everything inside. It was as if the healing were a sentient extension of the essence of Eros, and had been waiting for Kal and Diana to share this moment together. They were instantly taken to ...

… The ether, where a moment of initial bonding opened to them.

Suddenly, Kal was sitting with his head held down in an enclosed room at his elementary school, tears slipping across his cheeks, and his heart hurting. Only the words of his mother gave him a quantum of solace.

"Picture an island … out on the ocean."

With his powers and abilities out of control yet still maturing at a very young age, little Kal reached out … and slowly, he could indeed see … an island, out on the ocean.

"I see it," Kal said.

Then, he focused even closer, and he could see something else.

On the shore.

A young girl.

Diana.

Somehow, she had seen him as well. Their inner eyes had met. As she relived it, Diana clearly remembered the exact moment. Amazingly, through all the space and distance between them, they had been joined.

The revelation of the memory of this shared moment took them back …

… To the physical, where both of them gasped. An inward explosive release shot through both of them, akin to an bright sparkling outburst … or a mutual climax.

"By the g …," Diana exclaimed quietly.

"Oh g …." breathed Kal.

Instinctively, Diana wrapped both her arms around Kal's neck and held on tight to keep from screaming, trying to steady herself from the uncontrollable sensations. Kal drew Diana in close with his hands locked around her slim waist, caught in his own reactions from the unexpected spasms. Holding one another in intimate silence for a long moment, Kal and Diana trembled together.

Caught in the electric spell of the moment, their lips suddenly rushed toward one another. Yet, they stopped, only a millimeter apart, only able to glean the slightest graze of bliss. Kal and Diana gazed into each other's eyes, stunned by how desperately both of them desired this kiss.

After a long intense moment, the two of them laid their foreheads against one another with their eyes closed, feeling their hearts pounding as if they were out of breath. Slowly, they looked up to once again stare into each other's eyes.

"Do … Do you feel better?" whispered Diana.

"Thanks to you," Kal whispered back.

"All of your wounds have dissipated. Your skin is clear and solid. How does your body feel?" Diana asked, reaching out to glide a hand over his chest.

"The … The pain is gone," Kal said in stunned realization. "I feel somehow more weak than before, though. But, I'm not hurting. I … I just can't … seem to stand."

As he spoke, Kal started to slip sideways into the water. He was virtually devoid of strength and energy, with almost no control of his extremities. Diana instantly moved to catch him, but instead found herself dipping into the pool right with him. She realized that she suddenly didn't have the power to stand or even swim. The two of them instinctively grabbed on to each other as they started to float toward the side edge of the pool.

"What … What's happened to us?" asked Kal.

"It's just the elixir," answered Diana. "It drew from our combined spirit to induce and accelerate the healing process. Our strength should be restored after some adequate rest."

"So, in a very real sense, you saved my life," Kal said, helping her to grip the edge of the stairway so they could hold each other up.

"You saved mine first," Diana told him. "I and my race would certainly have perished if The Beast had destroyed the world."

"You brought me back to life, and now I just have to figure out how to get us out of this pool," he laughed. "I think I could probably fly before I can walk. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," he quoted.

"Well, if one of us can fly, then we both can fly," said Diana.

Clasping hands, Kal and Diana slowly rose up out of the water and Into the air. it took great effort, but they were able to float slowly and steadily. After a long while, they landed together on the side of the bed in the warm cozy bedroom totally exhausted. After resting for a short moment, Kal slowly started to try to stand to his feet.

"Your spirit really does give me strength. I think I might be able to stand now," he told her.

"What are you doing?" asked Diana.

"Well, I thought you might want to get some sleep," answered Kal.

"Okay," said Diana as she slid deeper into the bed. "What about you?"

"I … I guess … I'm just going to … find another room. There's lot of them .. here … in my fortress … here," Kal stammered uncomfortably.

"Men don't sleep with women on Krypton?" Diana asked firmly.

"What? Yes! Yes, men do … on Krypton … sleep with women. They do. That's not what I meant. I mean …"

"So do you not choose women?" she asked with a near grin.

"What? Yes! Of course! Of course … I choose women … I mean, would choose … if I had ever … women, like you, I mean … I …"

"Then, for no reason, you don't want to sleep with me. So you …"

"Okay! Okay. Yes. Yes, I'll … I'll sleep … with you … next to you," Kal said in exasperation.

Comically, the two of them kept murmuring to each other as they slid into bed together, slowly cuddling up the same way they had slept during his first slumber.

"Really, it's up to you. Your choice …"

"This is, what I would choose …"

"There's plenty of room here …"

"Yes, yes, you're right …"

"Technically, we've been sleeping together already …"

"No reason to stop now … still healing ... comfortable …"

Diana waited until Kal had slid over to the center of the bed, then she sexily swung her long hair aside and laid down on his chest. He could feel the femininity of her lithe body against his own and she could feel the muscle of his manhood. The two of them settled into a warm, gentle and soothing embrace. In their comfort, both of them were asleep before they realized they were falling.

Neither of them knew they would awaken to a new battle in the midst of an ages old war …


	8. Paradise: The Island

The Fortress

Dawn

The warm atmosphere inside The Fortress was accentuated by the closeness of its occupants. In the bedroom, Kal and Diana lay together, resting in compassionate silence. However, her sleep was deeply troubled. Although Diana was more comfortable in Kal's arms than she had ever been before in her entire life, her head began to lightly toss back and forth. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and then her body jumped up off of Kal's chest.

"Nooo!" Diana screamed.

Startled by her sudden movement, Kal was instantly awake and sat up with her quickly. He grabbed Diana's shoulder to steady her and ran a hand through her hair to comfort her.

"What is it, Diana? he asked quickly. "What's wrong?"

"It … It's Themyscira," she said, squinting her eyes in confusion. "My home is … being destroyed. I … I have to go."

Quickly standing to her feet, Diana snatched up her gear and began to strap it on. Feeling the strength of her body augmented by a residual effect of the healing lotion, she was fully dressed in seconds. Still recovering slowly, Kal was barely on the edge of the bed by the time she had finished.

"Diana, wait," he told her. "We should scan the island. You don't know what you're walking into."

"I know you're right, Kal," she said as she turned to him for a brief moment. "I have no psychic abilities and I don't even know how I was contacted, but I can't take the time. The dream was so real that I could feel the heat from the fires."

"Then we go together," said Kal, picking up his trousers and hurriedly stepping into them.

"Kal, wait," said Diana, placing her hands over his to stop him as he set the edge along his waist. "We cannot take the chance of you not being fully healed. You're needed here."

"I'm not one hundred percent, but I can stand. You said you wouldn't let me face any more battles alone. I feel the same way about you."

"After what we've shared, I'm sure you do," she said quietly. "Still, I cannot let you come with me. The island needs me. The world needs you."

"Diana …" he began.

She saw the strength of his caring for her in his eyes. Yet, she knew that he was far too important to allow him to risk his life with her. She decided that she would relinquish the guarding of her heart to get through to him.

Reaching up to gently place her right hand in his hair, Diana kissed Kal softly on his lips for a short moment. It made him pause, and, to her surprise, so did she. Diana hadn't been prepared for how good it felt to place her lips on his. After a second, she drew back to stare into his eyes.

"If I can, I shall return."

With those final words, Diana tore her eyes away from him and flew down the hallway. Kal walked after her, feeling the condition of his body as his muscles stretched. The main door opened, and Diana took to the sky. Walking up to stand in the open doorway, Kal stood still, wondering if he would ever see the beautiful princess again.

"Jor-El," he called quietly.

"Yes, Kal-El."

"Find Themyscira."

Themyscira

Morning

As far as the eye could see, the waters of ocean expanse were roiling madly in torrential turmoil. Eerie dark clouds hung over all the region, leaving it in a premature dusk before the night had fallen. It seemed as if the very atmosphere was reflecting the evil of the sudden war taking place on a particular island located within the hidden depths of its broad borders.

The island of Themyscira was in the midst of an all out war. Large tendrils of dark smoke rose from huge fires spanning the entire circumference of the isle. A massive invasion of the whole of Themyscira was taking place.

All across the land, various small battles were being brutally waged. In the darkest of night just before the dawn, a mysterious small army of dark undead men had risen up out of the ocean and attacked. The monstrous zombies were extremely difficult to stop, as it took an inordinate amount of blows to put them down since there was no true physical life within them. The Amazon warriors had been able to split the force into sections to try to gain an advantage, a sound military strategy, but they had played into the brilliant plan of their ultimate adversary.

With the Amazon forces divided, a particularly strong group of the creatures had guided their commanding Queen directly into the citadel palace. The security force of the main city had been overwhelmed and defeated. Now, her high heels resounded ominously as she walked over to prepare to sit on the throne she had awaited for decades.

The Queen was Master Sorceress Circe.

Hippolyta lay at her feet, battered, beaten, bloody and barely breathing. The bodies of several of her finest warriors and lifelong companions lay strewn unconscious across the throne room, with several of the mangled undead atrocities walking among them. Struggling to raise up on her elbows, Hippolyta had to listen to the raspy death knell of Circe's voice.

"Do not feel bad, Hippolyta," gloated Circe. "We both knew this day would come. There is not a warrior in existence more skilled than I."

Miles away, the ocean surface split in a continuous cut wave as Wonder Woman soared over it at high speed. Nearing the island, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the horror before her. She angled her flight directly toward the throne room.

As Hippolyta helplessly watched on in horror, Circe started to lower herself onto the throne.

With a thundering crash, a sudden smashing collision exploded across the entire room. Smoke and debris flew outward in a radial pattern from the epicenter of the throne. Circe was knocked backward to slam into the side wall so hard that her body left large shattered cracks along its surface.

As the clouds of smoke began to clear, another pair of heels could now be heard slowly stomping across the throne room floor.

"You shall not claim victory this day, Master Sorceress," called Diana. "I am Diana, Princess of The Amazons, and there is only one queen."

"You arrogant whelp!" hissed Circe with a vehement screech. "You dare to presume authority over me? I was slaying whole armies of men before you were even conceived! Foolish child, after all these years, you don't even know who is the true Queen of The Amazons!"

"What?" asked Diana, hearing the truth in Circe's words and stumbling to a halt to look over to where Hippolyta lay. "What is she talking about? Mother?"

"Mother? Ha! You're not hers, you impudent girl," Circe sneered.

"Don't listen to her, Diana!" hollered Hippolyta. "She's trying to divide us. Stay away from her!"

"Perhaps it shall be a more fitting punishment for you to die without ever knowing the truth!" cried Circe, leaping into the air and swinging her razor sharp sword in a precise strike intended to cut Diana in half.

Diving forward, Diana slid into a smooth roll, dodging Circe's blade by mere inches. She quickly stood to her feet and spun around with a swing of her sword which blocked Circe's following strike. The two women moved forward to brace their weight behind their blades, holding a tense temporary stalemate.

"Remember, Diana, I was The Wonder Woman before you," Circe told her. "For years, I have been immersed in the dark arts, and now, I am far more powerful than any woman will ever be! Feel my wrath!"

Channeling and focusing her sorcery, Circe's eyes turned pitch black. The muscular structure of her body visibly became more pronounced, and her red hair seemed to slightly glow with a dark hue.

Pushing off of her, Circe hollered as she swung her blade at Wonder Woman, drawing her into a planned counterattack. As their swords clashed, Circe's blade startlingly slashed through Diana's, cutting it in half. Diana recoiled as a torrent of dark energy exploded from the collision, catching her completely by surprise and temporarily knocking her off balance. With masterful precision, Circe expertly spun around and swung a horizontal strike to Diana's abdomen which nearly cut her in half as well as her sword. The master warrior followed the cut with a strong kick to the middle of Diana's chest which knocked the wind out of her.

Wonder Woman crashed into the far wall behind her, nearly tearing all the way through it from the incredible force of Circe's kick. She landed on the throne room floor face down, her body wracked with excruciating pain, more than she had ever felt in her entire life. Without her extreme healing, Circe's cut would have finished her. Reaching down, Diana held her waist with her left hand as blood poured from the gaping wound while her body attempted to knit itself back together. Wonder Woman struggled up to one elbow with her right arm.

"It's over, Diana," said Circe, walking toward Diana with the loud triumphant spikes of her high heels. "I am stronger, faster and better than you in every way. Stay down. You are no longer The Wonder Woman of Themyscira."

Diana looked up at Circe as she stomped toward her.

Her mind remembered the epic battle which Superman had just fought against The Beast.

Wonder Woman realized … that this was her final stand.

"Diana, my daughter," Hippolyta's voice drifted to Diana in a desperate whisper. "Go. Leave the island. Save yourself. The Seer recently told me that … you may have … a greater destiny."

"Your destiny is upon you now," the Seer whispered to Diana in a shaky voice, fearfully hiding from Circe behind a large piece of palace debris. "What you decide in this moment will determine the fate of all Themyscira and the character of your own soul. Stand or withdraw."

Slowly, Diana lowered her head. Gathering her will and strengthl, Diana raised up to one knee, the bellowing echo of her first high heel striking the pavement resounding triumphantly. Barely able to force her body to stand, Diana raised up, placed her other heel firmly on the floor, and broke into her warrior's fighting stance.

Circe stopped walking. Her visage was a stone cold stare, but she was amazed that her younger counterpart had somehow summoned the ability to stand after the killing blow she had just delivered. Just in case this young princess was bringing more to this battle than anticipated, The Master Sorceress decided to stack the deck even more against her.

"Krom!" Circe called loudly.

At her call of his name, a pitch black cloud began to fade into existence with an ominous swirl. In seconds, a male form began to take shape in the midst of the darkness. Then, he stepped out of the underworld and into this realm behind his Queen.

Krom was a tall muscled monstrosity of deadly proportions. He towered over Diana by at least three feet, his body held the immense bulk of a sumo wrestler, and his red skin looked as if it had been ignited by the fires of Hades itself.

"My Dark Empress," acknowledged Krom.

"Now, witness the end of an era and a new beginning as I remake all Themyscira in my image!" howled Circe.

As she spoke, she began to swirl her arms in a magic pattern older than known time, weaving a spell of darkest magic. Her eyes turned into glowing black orbs of abysmal emptiness, her normally beautiful skin became absolutely pale grey, and her red hair literally caught fire.

Surrounding the island on all sides, the ocean waters began to roil in a frenzy. They began to turn blood red, and then a much darker color as remnants of dead flesh began to float to the surface. Fighting to their last, the Amazons watched the turbulent sea with an ominous sense of dread, wondering what horror was set to befall them next.

Then, a new wave of the undead men began to slowly walk up out of the ocean. The first wave which Circe had brought with her had been hundreds. This time, there were thousands. The warrior women knew they would never be able to withstand such a terrible force.

"Circe, stop this," pleaded Hippolyta, staring out at the shorelines from the ruins of the throne room. "Whatever you are doing, refrain at once. We are still your sisters."

"And my sisters, you shall always be," Circe said to her with a calm meaningful intensity. "You should know, Hippolyta, that the hearts of most of our women still side with me. They too want to take revenge and conquer man's world. I will lead them. Fitting, isn't it? That the army we will use to consume man's world is the dead flesh of all their own wars, murders and killings left at the bottom of the sea. I sincerely wish that the three of you could be here to see it. Well, two of you, anyway," she added, mocking the Seer's blindness.

"You will not prevail, Sorceress," Diana said through gritted teeth, still struggling simply to remain standing. "With my last breath, I will take you with me."

"I make you a final offer, Diana," Circe said firmly. "Join me, and rule in Hell instead of serving in Heaven."

"Never."

At that moment, another section of the already demolished southern wall of the throne room was smashed inward as Hessia, Artemis and Antiope came crashing inside, with Artemis barking directions to her sister warriors.

"Fall back, Sisters! Fall back! We'll make our last stand here surrounding the palace!"

"Artemis," Hessia said as she grabbed her arm urgently. "The enemy is already inside. We may be trapped."

"It's our only chance, Hessia," replied Artemis. "There's no choice. We will die on our feet with our fellow sisters by our sides."

Across the room, The Seer closed her blind eyes in solemn acceptance of their fate ...

Hippolyta's head lowered ...

Diana tensed, preparing for her final confrontation with Circe …

Then, the earth moved.

A massive continuous earthquake suddenly resounded all over the entire island with a thunderous cracking explosion. The women reached up to cover the ears, some of them dropping to their knees from the sheer concussive force assaulting their senses. As the shaking continued, not even Diana and Circe were able to remain standing.

After several seconds, the massive rumbling began to centralize on the southern shore of the island, directly underneath the bulk of the massive army rising from the ocean. An stunningly loud crackling sound of extreme displacement reverberated over all the land. Then, to everyone's utter amazement, the entire southern shore began to raise upward into the sky.

"What's happening?" Circe screamed to Krom.

The deadly warrior famous for his propensity for action stood motionless simply watching, just like everyone else.

As the rising part of the island dislodged from the lower section, the bottom of it quickly came into view.

Underneath the floating section of island was a figure ...

A man …

The Man of Steel.

The words which slipped from virtually every Amazon's mouth all over the island were the same as Diana's own when she had first laid eyes on The Superman.

"By the gods!"

The majority of Circe's army was on the southern section of island which Superman held in his hands. As the onlookers stared on, he turned, raised his arms up higher, and then threw the entire southern shore of Themyscira several hundred miles to crash into the surface of the ocean. Impacting the water, the rock of the island snapped into several massive chunks, the destructive concussive forces completely consuming the undead army.

"Nooo!" screeched Circe.

Hovering powerfully in the air, Kal surveyed the battlefield beneath him. Despite their vaunted pride and courage, he could see the fear of him on most of the faces of the Amazons. He had come to save them, and he didn't want them afraid. He looked at Diana, and he knew that his connection with her would comfort her sisters.

"Wonder Woman, I'm here for you!" Kal called loudly. "There are still forces to the north. Where do you need me, Diana?

Staring up, Diana's warrior's heart was again lifted by this magnanimous man. Not only had he brought hope to her, but to her entire people. And, she knew exactly what he was doing. By addressing her by both her known and personal nomenclature, her sisters would not be afraid of him. He had also let Diana know that he well knew where he was needed, but he would allow her to be in charge for her sisters.

"Superman! You have broken the back of invasion! We can hold the palace, Kal!" Wonder Woman answered him.

All over the island, the faces of the women turned to stare at Diana, even including Circe. Although they had all held the utmost respect for Diana before, they were now in absolute awe of her. Somehow, The Princess had been able to captivate a man with power like this. She was truly a woman of wonder.

"Krom! Destroy him! Now!" ordered Circe.

At her command, the massive Krom leaped into the air like a master gymnast. His agility was actually quite startling given his massive bulk. Krom flew at Kal like a missile, his arms raised above his head poised for a deadly powerfist strike.

"Excuse me a moment, Princess!" said Kal.

Swinging a perfectly timed uppercut, The Man of Steel connected solidly with Krom's neck, knocking his muscular body into pieces and sending them flying into the stratosphere.

All of the Amazons recoiled in admiration and near applause, astounded by the power which was now on their side of the battle. He had strengthened and emboldened them. Their womanhood had been affirmed and uplifted by true manhood.

"Forgive me, Your Highness!" Kal said cordially, as if the strongest male warrior of their opposition had been but a mere fly to him, bringing even more strength of combat to his female allies. "I'm at your service!"

"Thank you, Superman!" called Diana. "Warriors! Take the north!"

In spite of everything they had just witnessed, the Amazon army hesitated. Salvation had been wrought for them, but their Saviour was still … a man. They weren't sure if they could learn to trust again after all this time.

Inside the palace, Hessia grabbed Artemis's arm forcefully.

"He's on our side, Artemis," said Hessia. "The most powerful man in the world is with us. We have to join him."

"He's still a man," Artemis said angrily.

"But we still have sisters to save," Hessia told her strongly. "Our race may have died out this day if not for him. We have to take this battle to preserve our heritage. Our sisters look to you as a pillar. Lead them now!"

After only another moment of hesitation, Artemis nodded to Hessia.

"Warriors!" Artemis hollered in support of her Princess Diana. "To the north!"

With a unified war cry, the Amazons ran toward the northern part of their island. Although he had intended to destroy the undead army by himself, The Man of Steel knew he had to safeguard the army of women under him. Hovering low above them, he used his heat vision to cut down most of the enemy stragglers trying to attack his female companions.

The women didn't fail to notice Kal's protectiveness of them. Despite all their negative feelings toward the race of men, there was an undeniable stirring in their hearts as this man fulfilled the proper role as destined for them all. They were further strengthened to fight even harder in their battle with him protecting them.

Inside the citadel, Diana and Circe circled one another, two generations of queen lionesses locked in final combat, with the future of the Amazon race hanging in the balance ...


	9. Paradise: The Queen

Isle of Themyscira

Noon

The tide of battle had turned.

With the arrival of The Superman, The Amazons had been saved.

However, this final battle was far from over.

In the throne room of Themyscira, Wonder Woman Princess Diana and Master Sorceress Circe were circling one another, preparing for their final surge of combat.

"It's over, Circe," said Diana, trying not to allow her stride to bely her woundedness. "Stand down, break yourself and return under the rule of The Queen. You are one of us, and there may still be forgiveness for you."

"To join you, I would have to find forgiveness for the world within me, Princess, and there is none," Circe replied spitefully.

"Perhaps it's in a higher power, Empress," Diana told her. "You have to believe. I believe."

"A higher power," growled Circe. "I want to see a greater level, and you are the key, Princess. I'm going to force it out of you."

"What are you talking about?"

Circe executed a smoothly vaulted flying flip which sent her cascading to the other side of the throne room. Then, snatching up her sword, she quickly slipped over to stand over Hippolyta. Staring down at her, Circe placed her high heel on Hippolyta's neck and raised her razor sharp blade above her head.

"Nooo!" hollered Diana.

"Call out to your mother!" screeched Circe.

"Hippolyta!" said Diana, prepared to give Circe whatever she wanted.

"No! I said call your mother!" yelled Circe, starting to swing her blade downward toward the center of Hippolyta's face.

Diana lunged, knowing that she would be too late …

With one last look toward Diana, Hippolyta slowly closed her eyes …

Then, for a moment, time stopped … and a doorway opened …

There was a loud clang of metal upon metal, a sword blocking Circe's blade, and then … stillness.

In the sudden calm, a blinding light appeared, filling everything around it, able to be seen for miles. All hands inside the throne room raised to cover their eyes from the intensity, some already bowing to their knees knowing they were in the presence of divinity. Many of the Amazons even knew who had rejoined them.

The light emanated from the angelic body of a woman. Her garments were identical to Diana's, but pure white. A long mane of black hair flowed in the supernatural winds surrounding her, blowing her long cape outward as she hovered in the air majestically.

Grand Queen Lynda had returned.

At the glorious appearing, a wave of pure energy radiated outward, traversing the entire island.

On the northern coast, Superman and the Amazons were clearing out the remaining undead soldiers. The monstrous creatures had been driven back to the shore, but were still battling without end. For his part, Kal was very focused on protecting the Amazons and seeing to it that no more of them perished under his charge.

As the bright light appeared in the citadel, the wave of energy swept over the shore. Although it only knocked the warriors to the ground, it completely incinerated the undead. As everyone recovered, they all ran toward the source of the light.

The Man of Steel recoiled from the wave, then he quickly flew back toward the palace.

In the throne room, Diana shook her head to clear away the shock of the power which had just radiated over her. All of the women in the room, including Circe, had been thrown backward and nearly knocked unconscious. Slowly, Diana began to try to stand to her feet.

A glowing hand extended down to help her stand.

Diana looked up, and paused. The woman of light hovered over her. The resemblance between them was evident, obvious and undeniable.

Somehow, Diana knew. She just knew. But she asked anyway.

"Who … Who are you?"

"Don't be afraid. Take my hand, Diana. Let me look at you," said Grand Queen Lynda.

As Diana finally reached up and grasped her hand, Lynda lifted her, and the two women hovered in the air together.

Surrounding them, all of the Amazons bowed on their faces before Grand Queen Lynda. Even Queen Hippolyta took a knee. Only Circe stared on in anger and awe.

"I have missed you so, my child," said Lynda, holding back slight tears in her eyes. "I gave birth to you, and you have grown into the woman I always wanted you to be. I'm very proud of you, Diana."

"How do you know me?" asked Diana, her mind and heart reeling in stunned awe.

"From the higher heavens, I can watch over your battles, sometimes," smiled Lynda. "I was even with you during some of them, every now and then. You have more power than you yet know, Diana."

"I want that power!" Circe suddenly screamed. "Please, Grand Queen, grant it to me. I beg of you."

"You cannot have it, Great Empress," Grand Queen Lynda said forcefully, turning from Diana to face Circe, frustrated by the interruption of her first moment with her grown daughter. "You have always been a great warrior Circe, but your quest for power to take vengeance upon the world has corrupted you. You cannot wield the knowledge of the higher heavens."

"The Great Grand Queen has passed judgement upon me. No! I will take the power for myself!" screeched Circe.

Snatching up her sword, Circe leapt into the air toward Lynda.

"Back to the depths, you must go!" said Grand Queen Lynda.

With a single powerful, precise and graceful swing of her sword, Lynda cut Circe's weapon in half, releasing a massive discharge of energy which sent Circe falling backward. Amazingly, at the moment her back struck the floor, her corporeal form became ethereal, and she sank into the ground. Circe uttered a cry of denial which resounded as a distant echo.

Turning back to Diana as she sheathed her sword, Lynda reached out her hands to touch Diana's face. However, her extremities had become ethereal, and the rest of her body quickly began to fade out of the realm of visible sight. Lynda drew back.

"It seems I have to go now," Lynda said quickly. "There's so much to share with you one day, Diana. I love …"

"Wait! M …," cried Diana.

But she was gone. The light quickly faded away. Diana dropped to her knees.

"Diana!" Kal's voice suddenly called out as he landed inside the throne room.

"Arrest him!" Queen Hippolyta ordered her warriors.

"What?" exclaimed Diana, standing to her feet. "Why?"

"He is of the race of men, Diana," Queen Hippolyta said firmly. "Despite his … impressive … abilities, it is in his very nature to betray us. He must be detained."

"He saved us!" said Diana.

"For the moment, yes, but he will turn. All people do. There is none good, no not one."

As the Amazons stood, they hesitated. Despite the fact that they all despised men, they couldn't deny that his one seemed different. With their being a warrior race, his vaunted power had of course impressed all of them. Not only had he single handedly turned the tide of the battle, but he had also avidly protected them as they had fought. They wanted him with them. Still, they believed in the judgement of their Queen and in the inherent evil of all men, and they made their choice.

The Amazon imperial guard moved over to point their spears at him as two of their best warriors strapped his hands with their most impenetrable bindings. Kal stepped forward, presenting his hands to them without resistance as he looked over to Diana.

"It's all right, Diana," Kal said calmly. "I understand. Great Queen Hippolyta, may I address the throne?"

Hippolyta's eyes widened. She was surprised to hear a man speak with such poise, dignity and respect. This Kal-El was truly unique.

"You may," said Hippolyta, weakly walking over to where the throne seat once stood, quickly taking the arms of two of her Amazons as they ran over to her sides to assist their Queen.

The small squadron of Imperial Guard moved along with Kal as he walked to the bottom of the short stairs separating the main floor and the throne level. With a nod to Queen Hippolyta, Kal opened his hands and started to walk up the staircase.

The bindings snapped as if they weren't even there.

All of the Amazons, except Diana, recoiled from Kal warily. The grandeur of his power, even on small scales, was astounding. With a calm poise, he walked up the stairs and then turned to face the Amazon race as he stood beside The Queen.

"Amazon Warrior Women of Themyscira, please hear my words," Superman said loudly so all could hear. "Your honor is without question. I stand before you today to bring you the message that the time has come for you to return. You have remained outside the world for a great many years. However, the world needs you. Your beauty, grace and peaceful persuasion are without measure. I know you have been wronged. Yet, the purpose for which you were created still stands before you. The world needs you. Men need you. We need you. Thank you for hearing me. Great Queen, I humbly await your judgement."

With those words, Superman turned to bow to Queen Hippolyta before calmly walking back down the throne room steps. Diana stepped over toward him, purposefully standing by his side. The security detail which had escorted Kal to the throne area stood still, his words having moved them to take no action against him.

There was a long pause of silence as the entire audience awaited Queen Hippolyta's decision.

Then, with her two aides by her sides, Queen Hippolyta stepped forward to the edge of the staircase and prepared to speak. However, before she could say anything, everyone noticed the slow but hurried movement of the injured Seer trying to make her way up to Hippolyta. In contrast to their Queen, none of the Amazons moved to touch their mysterious mystical figure, but they all waited patiently for her to complete her business.

As the Seer reached Hippolyta, she spoke into her ear in a quiet whisper.

"Tread carefully, Hippolyta, for destiny stands before you."

"Explain yourself," The Queen ordered in a stern whisper.

"Look at them," The Seer told her. "He shall never leave her nor forsake her. They shall be the epitome of agape in its physical manifestation. They are destined to be together in all verses. Throughout all lifetimes, incarnations and possibilities, they come together for the good of all. Their love will protect the universe through ages, eras and generations. You can try to keep them apart as you will, but you cannot fight the future."

"Are you certain of this as a universal truth?" asked Hippolyta, her eyes wide.

"I have foreseen it," The Seer said with positive finality.

Hippolyta hesitated for another long moment, trying to decide if she could open her heart to ever trust a man again. Then, she raised her voice.

"You have spoken well, Warrior," she said strongly. "Your words were from the heart, and meaningful, intended to pierce the hardened hearts of strong women. If I were a younger woman, you may even have persuaded me. Be that as it may, I must judge in regard to the heritage of my people. It must be this way. You are hereby banished from Themyscira, the same as all of your kind."

"Mother!" hollered Diana.

"I understand, Your Grace," Superman said humbly. "Thank you for hearing me. I hope, in time, you and your valiant warrior women may reconsider."

"Kal, I'm sorry," Diana whispered.

"It was my honor to be of your assistance, My Princess," he whispered back.

With that, The Man of Steel slowly began to float up into the air.

"Warrior," Queen Hippolyta called in a low voice, stepping over to the very edge of the platform as her two aides assisted her. "Thank you for what you have done for us this day. It will not be forgotten."

"I'm always around, Great Queen," Kal said quietly.

Then, staring over at Diana, he soared up into the sky, turned, and was gone.

"Mother," Diana began.

"Hold your peace, Wonder Woman of Themyscira," Queen Hippolyta said formally. "You must also be judged. At present, it is unknown how you even knew of the danger to the island."

"This was my doing, Great Queen," The Seer admitted, dropping to her knees before Hippolyta. "I saw the end of our race upon us, and I acted in desperation. It is a testament to her untapped abilities that she was able to see the visions I sent to her. I humbly accept whatever judgement I have incurred."

"You will be dealt with later," Queen Hippolyta said firmly. "As for you, Princess, your banishment must stand."

"Mother, this can't be. I have so many questions. I …," began Diana.

"You shall not find your answers this day. Perhaps, your destiny does indeed lie elsewhere," Hippolyta said, trying to hide the broken sadness in her regal voice. "Diana, you have been my greatest joy. Today, you are my greatest sorrow."

At her immensely hurtful words, Diana stood speechless.

With one last look at Diana, Queen Hippolyta slowly turned her back to her. She stepped forward out of the grasp of her two aides, seemingly in anger, but in truth because she didn't want them to see the tears which threatened to slip from her eyes. Her head lowered.

Around the throne room, the Amazons quietly began to follow suit of their queen. Slowly, reluctantly, they too turned their backs to Diana. Only Hessia, Artemis and The Seer remained turned toward her.

With a final silent bow, Diana took to the sky and left Themyscira behind her.


	10. Paradise: The Protector

The Fortress

Sunset

The skies above the North Pole were bright, shining and alive with evening activity. Clouds were rolling quickly, animals roamed about in herds, and the winds howled loudly. It was a beautiful portrait of vibrant life.

Yet, he had never felt so forlorn.

As Kal-El soared down from the clouds to land in front of his fortress, his visage was crestfallen. Slowly, he turned to stare up at the skies behind him. There was no sign of her.

Then, as he turned back toward his fortress, a figure appeared in the midst of the light emanating from within. But, not a human figure. The physique was that of a canine.

A cape flowed from around his neck. Glints of light sparkled from the tag on his collar, its shape that of the majestic House of El. He held his head high, proud and joyful, statuesque in his repose.

Kal stood still. Flashes of childhood memories coursed across his synaptic nerves, reminding him of happy feelings long forgotten. Then, he thought of some of the recorded footage of his family from before the launch, the visual recollection coinciding with his emotional response, and he ... remembered.

"Who's the best dog in the whole universe?"

At his call, the response was immediate and resounding.

"Woof!"

"Krypto!"

With one bounce, Krypto leapt into the air and flew toward his master. Kal caught him as Krypto playfully pawed at his head and shoulders. Amazed that Krypto was able to fly, Kal was surprised as Krypto surged forward and pushed him backward, the two of them landing on the entranceway floor of the fortress.

Krypto and His Boy were finally at long last reunited.

"How did you get here, Boy?" Kal asked smiling brightly. "Where did you come from? How are you here?"

"Actually, he's always been with you," Jor-El's calm voice spoke in stark contrast to Krypto's chaotic energy.

"What?" Kal asked as he slowly stood to his feet swinging his arms at Krypto jumping all around him with ecstatic joy.

"It seems that he was in the Phantom Zone," answered Jor-El, choosing not to manifest his apparition so as to give the boy and his dog some time. "Analyzing data from his corporeal form now, I have found traces of his essence which were have been present around you almost constantly."

"What do you mean?" asked Kal.

"When you fought, he was fighting with you. When you walked, he was walking beside you. When you sat on a bench, he was sitting with you. When you slept, he was sleeping at your side."

Kal's eyes grew soft, reminded of the depth of love which had always existed between he and his pet. A slight tear sparkled at the edge of his right eye, and one of Krypto's swinging paws inadvertently batted it away. Kal smiled brightly.

They were fully reunited now. That was all that mattered. There was no time for sorrow.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Krypto yapped joyfully, as if sensing Kal's momentary sadness.

"How did he get here?"

"I'm still analyzing. It seems that there may be small pockets where the walls of the Phantom Zone are more thin than others. Perhaps because he was constantly on the barrier in his quest to be near you, he appears to have slipped through one of them."

"If he could get through, then the possibility exists that other beings could as well."

"That is a clear and present danger."

Again noticing that His Boy was becoming too serious, Krypto took action. Jumping up, he perched all four paws on Kal's shoulder as he looked up to pose like a guardian hawk. Kal immediately laughed heartily until Krypto swung from his shoulder, bounced off his chest with both paws, and spun end over end in the air to land on the floor. Kal laughed even harder.

Then, Jor-El's calm voice made Kal and Krypto both stop in their tracks.

"Kal-El, it seems you have another visitor."

Kal turned with a solemn hopefulness, and Krypto responded by strutting up to stand expectantly beside him.

In the center of the light shining in from outside the entranceway, the silhouette of a feminine figure appeared in the distance.

Kal broke into a soft run. So did she. He began to float in the air. So did she.

In the next moment, Kal and Diana wrapped their arms around one another. Their momentum made them spin around and around, and they smiled to each other brightly. After a long moment, the two of them leaned back excitedly.

"You were incredible!" beamed Diana. "You're so strong! You seem completely healed!"

"It was you, Diana," he told her, squeezing her slim hips for emphasis. "You brought me back and strengthened me. You saved your people!"

"The day may not have been victorious without you, Kal," she said, firmly placing her hands on his cheeks. "Forgive their banishment. They know not what they do."

"From what I know of the Amazon history, I can well understand their reluctance, Diana. Perhaps in time, they may come around. Was that … angelic woman … your mother?"

"My true mother," Diana said brightly. "I have so many mysteries to unravel about my lineage. Such a journey ahead of me."

"As did I," Kal told her in a firm whisper. "I've had my journey to discover my heritage. It would be my honor to join you on yours, if you'll have me."

Simultaneously, their eyes dropped to the other's lips, then back up to gaze into their eyes. Then, the two of them leaned in toward each other. Inexorably, their lips drew closer.

"Woof!" came the surprising interruption.

Kal and Diana parted quickly, startled out of their intimate reverie. They looked down at the excited canine playfully hovering around their feet. Krypto stopped next to Diana and stared up expectantly.

"And who is this?" smiled Diana.

"This is Krypto," Kal said proudly. "He was with my family on our home planet of Krypton. Krypto, this is Princess Diana."

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" greeted Krypto.

With a calmness in stark contrast to his energetic playing with Kal, Krypto slowly levitated up into the air in front of Diana, lowering his head as he humbly awaited the approval of his new princess. With sparkling eyes, Diana raised her hand and patted Krypto on his head lovingly. Overwhelming joy flooded through the canine, and he playfully began to bounce up and down in the air in front of her. Then, seeing Diana smile for him, Krypto went into overdrive, soaring over to Kal and fighting at him as if he were defending Diana. Kal laughed heartily as he tried to block the assault.

"You're our protector?" asked Diana.

"Woof!" affirmed Krypto, pushing off of Kal and comically assuming his statuesque pose once again.

Both Kal and Diana laughed as Krypto kept holding his pose.

"Okay, Boy," said Kal. "There's a whole new world for you to explore out there. Go protect the fortress."

With a hop, skip and jump, Krypto charged toward the main entrance, lowered to the ground, and then took to the sky.

Alone at last, Kal and Diana turned to face one another as the fortress entrance closed.

"So, Diana, will you stay?"


	11. Paradise: The Goodbye

Northern Hemisphere

The Fortress

Dusk

"I … I should go," Diana said reluctantly, more so to herself than to Kal.

"You don't have to," he told her.

Diana paused, and then stepped close to Kal, so near to him that they could feel one another's breaths.

"I've seen your strength, Kal-El," she said quietly. "I've been intimate with you in ways I'd never imagined, and I've seen into your soul. Tell me now, why do you want me here?"

This time Kal paused, and then spoke in a low voice.

"Princess, we live in a universe of God and devils, angels and demons, worlds and realms … but, we're not like any of them. Tell me, do you ever feel alone?"

"Of course, I … do."

Gazing into each other's eyes, Kal and Diana slowly drew toward one another. Raising her hands to his cheeks, Diana leaned forward and pressed her lips to Kal's. Since neither of them had ever been able to touch anyone else with their true strength, these simple touches between them were always extraordinary. As Diana held the kiss, Kal's hands slowly raised to cradle her hair. When they parted, she stared up at him with sadness in her eyes.

"Goodbye, Kal-El of Krypton," said Diana.

"Goodbye, Diana of Themyscira," said Kal.

Taking another final touch, Diana put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm hug. Wrapping his large arms around her slim waist, Kal held her gently, tenderly, somberly. Neither of them wanting to let go.

A long quiet moment passed between the two of them.

Then, Diana leaned back, stared into Kal's eyes, and kissed him again. The kiss was soft … sweet … meaningful … and not enough. They parted.

"Goodbye, Kal."

"Goodbye, Diana."

Diana took Kal's hand in her own for the final time.

Tearing her eyes away from him, Diana's heels turned to leave.

Kal didn't let go of her hand.

Diana paused. She couldn't believe how strongly her heart had been hoping that he would stop her like this. Her response was immediate.

Turning back around, Diana kept their hands joined and raised her other hand to the back of his neck. Kal leaned into her for another goodbye kiss, and Diana didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

Kal kissed Diana deeply … emotionally … passionately, the way that a man kisses the woman he wants to become his bride. His free hand laid on the small of her back and lightly drew her more into him. She kissed him back with all her heart, feeling as if she were a woman reaching for her last taste of water before entering an oasis.

After another long moment, they parted again.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The opposite happened. Their lips met again. This time, there would be no end to their embrace. Before Kal and Diana realized it, they were both floating in the air.

Diana began to guide their course, leading them toward the bedroom. Kal kept kissing her, holding Diana against him tenderly. Unconsciously, the two of them began a slow spin, as if riding on a carousel of love.

With firm hands, Diana began to remove Kal's cape from his shoulders. Diana broke their kissing long enough to lift his shirt up over his head and off, dropping it in the hallway where it lay. Kal raised his arms to eagerly help her, and then his large hands moved around to the back of her corset to try to unclasp it. Never having undressed a woman before, he fumbled, and Diana quickly snatched it off.

Again, as when he first laid eyes on Diana's beautiful buxom breasts, Kal paused in awe, but this time Diana was filled with too much desire to leave him to his admiring. Grabbing his manly hands, Diana placed them firmly on her breasts, his palms turning her taut nipples into hardened peaks so sensitive to his touch they were almost painful. She had moaned loudly before she had even realized it.

Her pleasure was music to his ears. Keeping one hand still kneading her breasts, his other hand slipped around to the small of her back to draw her closer to him. In response, one of Diana's hands rubbed his bulging pecs as the other tangled in the back of his hair. Kal had intended to kiss his way down to suckle on her breasts, but her lips were far too captivating to leave them. Diana broke their kissing only just long enough to whisper in his ear.

"Don't stop, Kal," urged Diana. "Please don't stop."

To further him on, Diana grabbed the sides of Kal's trousers and pushed them down off his hips. She hovered up a little higher and used her agile legs to slide them all them way down to his boots. In a quick moment, she had leaned over to grasp his boots one at a time and slip them off. Following her lead, Kal disrobed Diana in virtually one motion. As soon as she raised back up from his waist, Kal leaned her back by her shoulders and then pulled her dress down, grasping the edges of her high heeled boots along with her garment to remove them all at once. His ingenuity earned him a sexy smile from his princess.

Now completely bare to one another in every way, Kal and Diana pressed their bodies together. The full contact with each other gave them pause. Even their intense passion gave way to the growing love between them. The two of them hovered in silence, just holding one another.

Then, as they floated through the hallway, rain from Heaven seemed to begin to fall for their blossoming love. Looking up with joyful smiles, the two of them realized that Jor-El had activated a metaphysical sprinkler system, dropping sparkling water down to cleanse their bodies of their battle wear. They laughed together, enjoying the immersion.

The water was tinged with minute traces of elixir, obviously intended to aid their healing from their battle in Themyscira. The red hue of the elixir again manifested as sparkling prisms, creating an almost magical effect of glowing rain. Everything around them was glowing, and it was a beautiful sight.

"He takes care of us, doesn't he?" said Diana.

"Yes, he does," smiled Kal.

He opened his mouth to say more, but Diana stole his next breath with a kiss. They floated through the luminescent rain, again kissing and rubbing each other with heated fervor. It was impossible for Kal and Diana to get enough of one another.

As they soared into the inner sanctuary of the private bedroom, they made their way over the mattress. Instead of laying down upon it, Kal and Diana simply hovered horizontally in the air a few feet above it. With the adrenaline of battle still coursing through them, their loving fascination exploring this new world of intimacy, and given their natural innate abilities, these two particular lovers were experiencing new depths of their powers.

They hardly even noticed that they were floating above the bed instead of laying on it.

Kal wasn't going to proceed any further than Diana wanted, and he gave her all control. But Diana was certain of her feelings for Kal, and she had made her decision. She rolled them so that he was under her, and she straddled him without breaking their kissing. Taking him in hand, she guided him into her entrance.

She was dripping wet and he was hard as steel. Both their mouths fell open as she began to take him inside her. When Diana felt her final barrier break open under Kal's steel, she laid her forehead against his own to steady her. They rested a moment with their eyes closed, taking a moment to gather themselves from the all consuming essence of their bonding.

"Kal," she whispered.

"Diana," he responded.

In perfect harmony, Diana began to slide downward as Kal pushed upward, and neither of them stopped until their hips pressed together. It was absolutely overwhelmingly beautiful. They couldn't keep themselves from kissing again, their mouths joining to gasp between the other's lips.

Then, the unexpected.

The power of their bonding was so strong that they instantly went into simultaneous climax, sending a love shockwave cascading through them which was so intense it felt as if it may knock them out of their bodies.

In fact, it did.

Neither Kal nor Diana had realized they were still covered with the sprinkling of the elixir.

Their true feelings for each other within their deep sweet intimacy had started to unlock its full potential.

In the spiritual realm, the multiverse opened to them, and Kal and Diana began to slip through it together, experiencing touches of other shared worlds, circumstances, lifetimes, the two of them always coming together for the good of the universe …

… Diana, a poor servant girl in the house of her abusive stepmother, sneaking out to a glamourous ball under the royal family of Prince Kal, losing her crystal slipper, and Kal bringing all the lands together as he searches to marry his Dianarella …

… Kal, an alien prince from a distant land, traveling to a far country to find a strong bride, Diana, a princess exiled from her island of women for choosing to save lives instead of remaining in isolation, until the two of them cross paths in love to unify the countries in a humorous tale of Coming To America …

… Diana, the youthful heiress of the house of Amaza, Kal, a young romantic writer from the family Kryptos, star crossed lovers from families sworn to hate each other, until their undying love changes the hearts of their families, leading to a unification of the houses which ushers in an era of peace, joy and love for all the cities, the lovers nicknamed Romeo and Juliet ...

… Kal, a young bad boy, changed by accepting the redeeming love of Christ follower Diana, her wedding march to him being A Walk To Remember for all the world, as their archeological world searching union leads to the discovery of cures for a myriad of deadly diseases …

… universes of love stories ...

… which ultimately led them back into their own, where in the physical, Kal and Diana unknowingly made love for three straight days, the passage of time a haze of love, passion and caring which was true blissful joy …

... always gazing deeply into one another's eyes ...


	12. Paradise: The Dragon

The Second Heaven

Space

Noon

… always gazing deeply into one another's eyes …

… even now …

… back in the present ...

Were her eyes open, or was he dreaming?

Leaning back from kissing her, coming back to the present from being lost in shared memories of their past beginning, Kal stared down at Diana.

They hovered in the second heaven of space. The Son had just cast out the dark demon which had possessed Diana. Kal held her tenderly in his arms, praying that He would bring her back to life.

She had been dead. Lost. Gone ...

Now, she was alive …

The Son had resurrected her.

Kal opened his mouth to speak, his lips moved, but he was too struck to form words.

"What a lucky woman I am," Diana's voice drifted to Kal's ears.

"I … I love you," he whispered quietly.

"Of course, you do. And I you."

"How … How do you feel?" he asked.

"I … I've never felt better," Diana answered with surprise, floating upward out of his arms to float easily. "I was in a coma, and the one true choice of life was set before me: Damnation in myself or salvation in Christ Jesus. I chose Him."

Kal surged into her arms, and the two of them hugged tightly, spinning round and round in glory. They leaned back, smiled to one another and kissed in true pure joy. The moment was heavenly.

"Let's go home," he said, leaning back with blissful joy.

"Our home."

Hand in hand, Kal and Diana floated back toward the planet, but as soon as they reached the upper atmosphere, a red illumination soared toward them. An incredibly powerful torrent of burning flame shot upward directly at them, so forceful that even having been expelled from a great distance away, it knocked them back out into the ionosphere.

Kal and Diana caught one another, using their shared power to halt their backward momentum. To their horror, the flames were hot enough to ignite the dangerous gases in the earth's upper atmosphere, beginning a slow cascading effect which would eventually lead to the burning of the entire planet. The skies were turning blood red.

"Kal, what's happening?" exclaimed Diana. "What do you see?"

"It's coming from the Arctic," he answered as he focused his long range vision. "Almost where …"

"What?"

"Where the Fortress would be. There's something there, but it's hiding in the ocean."

Again, another torrent of blazing heat shot at them. This time, Kal and Diana combined their strength, holding hands while simultaneously blocking with their forearms. Together, they withheld the onslaught for as long as they could, trying to prevent more of the fallout from adding more corruption to the atmosphere.

"Whatever that is, we have to stop it," said Kal.

"This is a job for us," followed Diana.

The two of them hurried toward the northern hemisphere. The center of the disturbance seemed to be a particularly large expanse of land surrounded by smaller islands. The surrounding seas were in turmoil, with tidal waves steadily increasing in intensity, threatening to overtake all the lands around them. There didn't seem to be any visible cause of this raging storm. But then, as Kal and Diana drew closer, the ultimate evil showed itself.

Tearing forth out of the sea, a massive red dragon with seven heads burst upward, it's roar so powerful that it shook the very fabric of the realm's walls of reality. Soaring menacingly at Kal and Diana, it swung a huge set of razor sharp claws at them. They were barely able to dodge the strike, as the beast's incredible speed was deceptive given its bulk and size. But the monster quickly followed with a torque of its wide spanning wings, knocking Kal and Diana both to the ground. They crashed and rolled harshly, tumbling end over end until Kal caught Diana and slowed their momentum.

"Up!" he hollered.

In unison, they took to the sky, soaring out of the way as the dragon stomped the ground where they had been moments ago. The impact caused a tremor to rumble along the earth's fault lines which began to trigger minor earthquakes. Its power was staggering.

"And away," finished Diana.

"Let's hit it!"

"On your lead."

In perfect fighting synchronicity as they always were, Kal went low while Diana simultaneously went high. Using all his venerable might, Kal struck the dragon's legs, momentarily upending it. Diana then slammed both her fists into the dragon's chest center mass, sending it careening backward.

However, the great dragon was barely phased. As hard as they had hit it, the monster should have been put down permanently. Recovering from the shattering blows with a mere shake of its head, the dragon swung its mighty wings, causing massive tornadoes to sweep over Kal and Diana.

Diana landed and stood with Kal to resist, but the winds were quickly becoming too strong for them. Plunging his hands into the ground, Kal lifted up massive chunks of earth which deflected some of the gusts until they passed. The rock shield was quickly torn asunder, but it had held long enough to provide the protection they'd needed.

"What is this thing?" asked Diana, her tactical warrior mind diligently searching for a chink in the armor. "I … I can sense it somehow."

"What?"

"In my spirit, it seems … familiar," she said with an intense stare. "It feels almost the same … as the creature I encountered before … the one which deceived me. I don't understand."

"I think I may have some idea," Kal said warily.

"Tell me everything you know," said Diana. "Our best chance to defeat it is to know it. Tell me what you think."

"The Great Red Dragon. The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Chapter Twelve."

During their relationship, the two of them had enjoyed reading the word of God together. Although Diana hadn't been a believer accepting Christ as her Saviour until this day, she had studied and learned with Kal. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"But the last days have not yet come to pass. How …"

"I think this creature is some kind of harbinger, likeness or foreshadow," he clarified. "Not the true Beast, but maybe one of his higher generals. Still, if it is, it may only be in the power of The One Himself to put this thing down."

"Perhaps so," said Diana, manifesting her mystical sword in her hand. "But we'll see if it can withstand us first."

"One two punch!" hollered Kal, calling out their strategy.

"Let's go!" Diana yelled in a war cry.

The dragon charged toward them, and Kal timed his move accordingly. Kal knew that even the monster Doomsday would have been absolutely no match for this beast, and his own might wouldn't be enough to overcome it. It was imperative that he use its power against it. He shot upward and caught hold of its center throat, using its own immense strength against it to angle its forward momentum downward. The beast was surprised by Kal's strength, as it hadn't expected the sudden change of direction.

Just as soon as the dragon's bulk slammed to the ground, Diana came soaring down with a sword strike intended to cut off its primary head.

The blade didn't even pierce the dragon's skin.

In super speed, Diana swung two more strikes, but to no avail. The great dragon reared up against Kal, knocking him backward with a massive claw which tore through his abdomen viciously. Then, its head snapped up, biting at Diana as she flew out of the reach of its teeth by mere inches.

Using a masterful swing of its massive wings, the great dragon created a torrential funnel of concussive air which drew Kal and Diana inward with its force, then its central head began to focus its fire. With thoughts only of protecting Diana in disregard of his own safety, Kal shot forward to snatch her into his arms. He spun around and covered her as much as he could with his own body.

Burning fire hotter than any lava on earth seared the very air as it poured over Kal and Diana. The flames set the entire island ablaze. Torrid heat cascaded into the two of them, threatening to tear them apart and burn them alive. He held her under him protectively, and she pulled him into her as much as she could to try to care for him. The assault was going to rip them asunder in seconds.

"Hold on!" Kal said through gritted teeth.

"Don't let go!" strained Diana.

At the very last moment before the dragon would have consumed Kal and Diana, an immensely massive and staggeringly powerful wind swept over the entire island land mass, completely blowing out the destructive flames and saving the two of them. The surrounding grounds were incredibly singed, leaving large tendrils of smoke and steam rising into the air. The incredible convergence of elements had created a striking sight. The extreme heat of the flames had partially turned the sands of the island to crystal clear glass, creating a marvelously unique battlefield.

There was fire in the sky, sparkling glass on the ground and glowing snowflakes floating in the air. The stage had been set. A climactic effect. A last confrontation. A final battle.

Raising up with Diana under him, Kal stared down at her. The dragon's flames had caused both he and Diana's skins to literally boil. Although their extraordinary recuperative abilities were trying to heal them, they were in excruciating pain.

They weren't going to be able to stop this. He was certain. Perhaps they weren't meant to.

"Diana … it … it's time for you to leave," he said weakly. "You must live. You should go."

"How … How dare you, My Love," hissed Diana, slowly reaching her hands up to cradle his cheeks. "How dare you think to deprive me of this greatest honor."

"What do you mean?" Kal asked, his hands gently holding her waist.

"Did He not say, the greatest love one can have is to lay down thy life for those one loves?"

"Something like that," Kal smiled solemnly.

"Then … together … one last time … superwonder," Diana said as she and Kal slowly stood to their feet.

SuperWonder. Their greatest power. Their combined essence.

Standing together, hand in hand, Kal and Diana turned to face the adversary.

The great dragon reared up, its three central heads poised for a deadly strike.

Diana soared up high into the sky, Kal right behind her. In perfect harmony, the two of them began to surge forward, moving in complete synchronous unison. They moved headlong toward their final fate.

If this was to be their end, they determined to share, embrace and convey their magical love one last time.

Turning her head, Diana reached her left hand up to hold Kal's neck, as Kal's right hand fell upon her hip. The two leaned into one another, their lips joining passionately. Their signature kiss.

If this were to be their last moment, it would be a beautiful one.

Cradling Diana in his arms, Kal took hold of both her wrists. With their extreme forward momentum creating a bright sparkling cascading force effect of pure energy, Kal and Diana aimed directly toward the great dragon. Then, at the same time, they crossed her bracelets.

SuperWonder exponentially amplified the resulting power surge!

In opposition, the great dragon let loose a torrent of blazing hot fire!

The two forces of nature collided in a massive expanse of power, lighting up the whole world. Kal and Diana withstood the onslaught for several moments, longer than should have been possible against the adversary, but they were eventually overcome. The great beast stumbled backward from SuperWonder, but Kal and Diana were down for good.

They crashed to the ground, still holding one another as their skins almost boiled right off their bones. Only their unique healing abilities were able to barely keep them alive. Everything around them had been burned nearly to glowing glass.

Giving no quarter, the dragon began to ominously stomp toward them.

"Diana …," Kal whispered weakly.

"We … We have to stand, Kal," she said, barely able to raise her head.

Struggling with every effort of his indomitable will, Kal slowly stood to his feet. With his right arm, he lifted Diana up beside him while his left prepared to defend them. Unable to stand, Diana held onto Kal with one arm and balled her other fist for a strike.

"Stand," he whispered, thinking of the Biblical commandment regarding spiritual warfare.

The dragon reared back its main head, preparing to finish them ...


	13. Paradise: The Body

The Northern Hemisphere

The Arctic

Noon

Suddenly ...

Soaring through the air …

A shield …

The dragon was hit directly in the center of its right eye, and the circular disc bounced off its iris. The great beast halted and recoiled, more in surprise than from any actual injury. It seemed it hadn't known that others would be joining this battlefield.

Just as the dragon started to look around, a small feminine body came flipping through the air toward it. She fired two handguns, both of them blazing, every shot hitting the exact same spot where the shield had just impacted. This time, the dragon took a step back, again not from damage but instead trying to assess its new opposition.

The woman landed on the edge of the dragon's eye, fired every bullet until she ran dry, then back flipped off of it. In perfect sync with her, a man's frame soared into the space near the dragon from a nearby ledge, catching the shield in his right arm and the woman in his left. His expert move was precisely combat planned to land them on another ledge just a few feet away.

However, the great dragon swung a large claw in heated anger at the new intrusion. The rock ledge disintegrated beneath them. The two of them were left tumbling through the air toward the ground below.

Without even looking, the man raised the edge of his shield up to the sky.

Immediately, they stopped falling.

Holding on to the other edge of the shield, Kal had caught them.

"One save leads to another," Kal nodded to them.

"Steve Rogers," he introduced.

"Kal-El, or Clark Kent."

"Pleased to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is truly all mine."

"Sorry to interrupt this little party, but we are kind of in the middle of something here," grinned Natasha.

Kal and Steve smiled.

"Tell me," Diana said, hovering over to hold Natasha up by her waist, "do you ever feel like you work with children?"

"Seems like us girls are always picking up after the boys," said Natasha.

All together, the four of them swooped upward out of the danger zone. Landing everyone on the opposite ledge, Kal turned to face the dragon. It wasn't at all injured, but it was now wary, looking around on all sides. It hadn't been expecting company.

"The sound of that thing drew us here," said Nat. "Seems like you can hear it all over the world."

"Let's hope it draws anyone else that's here," said Steve.

Once again focusing on the four of them, the dragon turned and began to stomp toward the ledge.

Then, a dark bat like shadow loomed ominously over the dragon's central head. The dragon looked up, and as it did, a sleek feline figure swooped onto its eyelid from another adjacent ledge. With sharp cat like claws, the dark haired woman slashed and grappled viciously at the dragon's other eye, trying to break through its surface.

The dragon stumbled backward in surprise. As it raised an arm to try to swipe the attacking woman off its eye, it didn't notice the bat shadow now hanging on the side of its neck. With calm poised control, the bat shot a grappling hook directly onto the eyelid beneath the woman's feet. Scooping her up in his arm with a strong jump, the bat and the cat swung away to the relative safety of the ledge beside the others.

Behind them, a line of explosives detonated all around the dragon's main neck, leaving a trail of fiery smoke igniting the circumference.

"Captain Rogers, it's an honor. I'm Bruce Wayne. This is Selina Kyle," he said, sparing a glance before turning back toward the adversary.

Kal looked over to Selina with a questioning stare, never having known Bruce to be one for cordiality, especially in the midst of combat.

"During our time here on the island, we found … The Truth … and it … I mean, He … began something of a change in us," explained Selina.

"I understand," Kal said with a gentle smile.

"Is there anyone else with you?" asked Diana.

Almost as if on cue, another flying shadow, this one as a large as a falcon, came swooping over the dragon from the opposite direction. Just as the dragon looked up, a female figure boldly dropped down from the falcon and landed on the dragon's jaw.

With a metallic like plating over her right arm, the woman held open the mighty maw, narrowly avoiding the razor sharp teeth. Flicking a switch on a small grenade in her left hand, she tossed it down the dragon's throat.

"Eat this, big boy!" she hollered.

The dragon raised its mouth open slightly higher, preparing to clamp down and crush her. She jumped backward, and landed right between the man's outstretched arms. As soon as he had her, he drew two uzis and fired rapidly to cover their escape. Skillfully flipping his guns back, the falcon wrapped his arms around the woman and swooped upward. The dragon's massive claws swung just underneath them as the couple glided to safety behind Steve and the others.

"Sam Wilson and Misty Knight, here, ya'll," said Misty. "Just wanted to do intros in case we all die here together."

"This the new team, Cap?" asked Sam.

"Kind of a first meet and greet," grinned Steve. "We need all hands on deck."

"I think we need a lot more hands than this," Misty frowned.

At that moment, another two figures swung into an attack on the dragon. A young man carrying a long haired platinum blonde used a line of adhesive webbing to spin around and around the dragon's legs, his spectacular agility keeping them both only a few feet off the ground. At the same time, the youthful and agile buxom blonde leapt out of his arms to latch onto the dragon's left leg, tearing at its knee using gloves with sharpened nails.

"Feeling a little hot under the collar today?" he called out loudly to draw the dragon's attention.

The dragon looked down at its legs as it stumbled almost clumsily. Despite the unusually enhanced strength of the young man pulling it, the webbing didn't hold at all, snapping with only the slightest movement from the beast. Yet, with amazing athletic skill, he reacted quickly. As the dragon raised the leg which the woman was scratching, preparing to stomp down and allow its sheer concussive force to break her feminine body, the young man bounced off the ground. Snatching the blonde up, he swung her around onto his back. With deft hands, she wrapped her arms over his neck and held on tight.

"Going up!" the young man laughed.

Like a human spider, he scaled up the dragon's central neck with incredible speed, then jumped off its nose with a yelp. As the dragon turned, he used a webline to cover and latch on to its eyes as he swung he and his lady up high into the air to land behind the group already on the precipice overlooking the battlefield.

"Mind if we join the party? Your friendly neighborhood Spider Man Peter Parker at your service along with Felicia Hardy the Black Cat."

"Good to have you with us," said Kal.

"Not that we seem to be much help," said Felicia. "We need a lot more guests at this little black tie affair."

"Well, ask and you shall receive, i guess," said Steve.

At his words, everyone stared up at the sky. The clouds were moving strangely, almost in accordance with one another. Directly above the dragon, the entire storm around them seemed to be concentrating into one large circulating pattern. Looking up, the dragon roared ferociously, sensing more newcomers.

Then, several tendrils of blinding lightning shot down from the clouds, crashing into the dragon's thick hide all over its body, sending large sparks exploding through the air. As the dragon stumbled around in recoil from the tremendous energy, a black figure came falling from the clouds. With the agility of a panther, it landed on the dragon's snout and slashed at its nozzle, cutting and slicing at the beast.

Before any trace of damage appeared on the dragon, it shook its head, jarring the figure loose. Then, an intense funnel of focused wind pulled the figure back and kept him lifted in the air. Slowly hovering down like a white haired goddess, a woman appeared from the clouds above, her left hand controlling the funnel as she pulled the figure toward her. Extending her right hand, she sent a torrent of tornado force wind slamming into the dragon's central head.

As the male figure drew close and took hold of the woman around her waist, the dragon reacted. It countered the strong winds with a sweep of its left wing, which immediately turned the powerful air against the wind rider.

Quickly using her immense power to draw down the clouds above them and congeal the precipitation as protection, the woman let the resulting contrast of elements blow the two of them over toward a cliff on the opposite side. But while they were still in the air, the dragon's main head spit a ball of blazing fire directly at them.

However, before the fireball could reach the two of them, it was strangely pulled upward into the sky above the dragon.

Suddenly, the flaming sphere exploded … into a phoenix bird of fire!

The dragon took a step back. It looked up, distracted.

With perfect timing and teamwork, a man with a conspicuous pair of red shades stepped out of the cover of a tree line a short distance away. While the dragon stared upward at the sky, the man lifted his shades, and a powerful optic blast shot out of his eyes and slammed into the dragon's belly. Holding the intense beam, the man trailed it up the body of the dragon, moving all the way up its central neck to its eyes.

The dragon wasn't phased, but it roared furiously, more angry than ever before. The ominous bird of fire descended onto the dragon, and its flames burned so brightly they turned white hot.

Then, the dragon lifted up in the air and spun around, the power of its mighty wings strong enough to completely extinguish the white hot flames surrounding it. A woman's painful cry echoed loudly as the fire dissipated, her incapacitated body thrust downward toward the tree line.

The goddess and the panther hurriedly navigated through the turbulent winds to swoop within range of the woman's falling body. She quickly made another wind funnel to try to slow her descent, but the red haired woman's momentum was simply too fast.

Desperately trying to save her, the wind rider flew too close and got them caught in the reverberating downdraft, leaving them too tumbling down out of control. Falling fast, the panther covered his woman's body with his own, turning his back to the ground to brace for the impact.

On the ground, the man with the ruby shades dove to catch the red head, not concerned about the damage to his own body.

But, as soon as he caught her, Kal was instantly behind him to catch both of them. Barely a moment later, Diana caught the second couple as well, keeping all of them from any serious injury.

"Superman and Wonder Woman, I presume?" the man asked.

"Scott Summers? Leader of the X Men?" Kal asked.

"And Jean Grey," Scott added.

"Always rising like a Phoenix," Jean said groggily, stirring back to consciousness in Scott's arms.

"King T'Challa and Queen Ororo of Wakanda here to assist as well," said T'Challa.

"Your royalty is known worldwide," Diana said cordially. "No introductions are necessary."

"Nor do we have time to get acquainted," added Ororo. "Thank you for saving us, both of you. Now we've got to figure out some way to stop this beast."

Hovering in the air menacingly, the dragon gave a mighty roar as its eyes began to glow with red fire. Raising its huge wing, the dragon targeted the precipice where the others grouped together.

"Clear out!" hollered Steve.

They all moved in unison. With Misty on his back, Sam lifted Steve and Natasha up with him. Bruce activated his soar mechanism, extending glider wings, and carried Selina off the ledge in his arms. Peter shot a web line onto Sam's metal falcon backpack and used momentum to swing he and Felicia upward.

The dragon's wing smashed into the ledge, shattering it to pieces. Then, with a masterful twist of its other wing, it completely took control of the winds and forced all air downward.

The entire group crashed onto the ground just behind Kal and the others. The dragon slammed onto the ground in front of them, its sheer concussive force knocking everyone backwards, sending them rolling and tumbling. It took its time stomping toward them as the group tried to gather themselves, the beastrelishing this moment of ultimate victory.

"Captain," called Kal. "I'm familiar with your inclination. As a reporter, I know of your prison visits to read from our Book to others. Do you recognize this dragon?"

"Yeah," answered Steve. "Something like chapter twelve. But this thing is like some kind of a literal manifestation of the metaphor. "

"Same thing I was thinking. And, it may explain why we're all here."

"Enlighten us all, Captain," T'Challa said from behind them.

"The body," said Steve. "The body of Christ. As Christians, we comprise it until His return. This group … couples."

"Two by two they entered the ark," said Kal.

"Right," Steve continued. "Since coming to the island, Nat and I went through some things … trials … tribulations …"

"Angels and demons," said Natasha.

"... that caused us to turn to Him," finished Steve. "Perhaps the whole purpose of life. I'm willing to bet that the same is true for all of you? Every couple?"

Everyone nodded.

"Ok, so The Gospel is the good news," followed Sam. "What's the bad news?"

"We lose," Bruce answered grimly. "There are some creatures only The One can deal with. This thing has only been toying with us …"

"... like a cat does its food," added Selina.

"Nothing we've done has hurt it at all," Ororo stated. "It's lying to us."

"Like the Deceiver," whispered Diana. "The father of lies. A liar from the beginning."

"What's it waiting for?" asked Peter.

"It just wants to see if there are more of us," answered Scott.

"The more food to play with, like Selina said?" asked Felicia.

"Not likely," answered Misty. "It probably just wants to make sure it kills all of us, maybe at once."

"So this was just a trap all along," finished Jean.

At her words, the dragon roared, this time all seven of its heads rearing up. Its devilish maw held a dark glee, seeming to confirm that they had been goaded into a trap. All seven powered up, just the building of their heat already starting to sear the skins of the entire group. Before anyone could even move, the three heads on each side let loose torrents of blazing fire on both sides of the group, effectively sealing them into a precise trap.

"Get behind me!" Kal hollered as he stepped forward, extending his arms in a sacrificial pose of protection.

All seven heads poured fire over everyone …

/

Author's notes: Posted for Valentine's Day couples love!

To all readers,

Thank you for taking the time to read this work. You are all greatly appreciated. Truly.

These last 3 chapters were originally intended to be the culmination of a much larger work, which would have comprised several chapters of each of these couples having their own experiences on the island and then coming together in this finale. Life, struggles, and times didn't allow me to complete the separate stories, but the story 'Paradise' with Steve&Natasha is an excellent example of the circumstances of all the couples. After their own experiences, they were all drawn together here in the end. Chronologically, this chapter takes place directly after chapter nine of the Steve&Natasha 'Paradise' story.

Again, thank you for your time and attention. I hope you enjoyed your reading. Be blessed!


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